Star of the Elements
by TurtleNinja
Summary: In order to finally defeat Aku once and for all and to return to his home time, Jack must gather the five Elemental gems to form the Star of the Elements and summon the Great Elemental. Will he succeed with the help of the Elementals or will Aku win?
1. Ichi: Kaze - Recovery

Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own Samurai Jack or Aku or any of the characters within except the Elementals. Also, the lyrics to "Itooshii Hito No Tame Ni" belongs to those persons who own the anime Fushigi Yuugi. The translation, however, was done by me. If you want to use it, give me an email, but otherwise, please do not use the translation used within this fic without my permission. Feel free to email me or leave reviews, but please no flames, 'kay? Enjoy! 

* * *

Weightlessness and a heavy sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had never imagined it possible for man to fly amongst the stars, much less what it would feel like to fall back to Earth from them. Now I was experiencing it firsthand, rocketing towards the ground at a sickening speed with no way to stop myself. I would not survive the landing, that much was certain. 

Think, Jack, think. You cannot die now. You are this world's and the past's only hope of defeating Aku. You must find a way to slow your fall, no matter how impossible it may seem. 

I began to pass into the upper levels of the atmosphere and I began to feel unbelievably warm, hot even. Soon my skin felt as if it was on fire and the sweat began to sting. I felt sick. I could barely even move and my breath caught in my throat. I had to calm down and fast. 

I took in a few slow breaths, trying to calm myself, even though I felt as if my heart was going to leap into my throat. I looked at the gauge on my suit's sleeve that told me how much fuel was left in the rocket pack I wore on my back. It was almost empty, but even a nearly empty rocket would do better than anything else to slow my descent. 

The clouds began to rush past me and the ground rocketed towards me at a dizzying speed. If I failed to try now, it would all be over and this future would forever be Aku's future. I managed to flip myself around with my feet pointing towards the ground as I started up the rockets. 

They did not have enough boost to bring me into flight, but after a few agonizing seconds, the ground seemed to be coming near me at a slower pace. I was still high above the ground, slowly coming in to land, even though the rockets struggled to keep up. The fuel tanks were almost empty now, most likely running on fumes. 

Closer I came to landing, able to see trees and most of the landscape relatively clearly. If the rockets could hold out for a few more moments, I felt that I might actually make it. For a few seconds, it seemed as if I would indeed land safely. I was almost to the treetops now, so very close to returning safely to the ground. 

_*Sputter...hiss....*_

Suddenly, the rush of air and heat behind me stopped and I resumed falling rapidly towards the ground. The rocket pack had run out of fuel and could no longer slow my descent. I was going to land hard and I could not land on my head or even on my feet. Even though I was not familiar with the science of this time, I knew that to land as such would cause serious injury. Not that I would not be badly hurt as it was. 

I flipped about in the air, turning around a few seconds before I slammed into the earth on my back. I gasped and my lungs tightened up. The suit seemed to shatter around me, rocket pack and all. Perhaps it managed to protect me from worse injury, but it did not save me from being hurt. 

Pain lanced through every inch of my body, head to foot, inside and out. A sickening feeling rushed through me and I felt as if I was going to choke. I could not move, even if I had been able to think about it. Nothing in all my years of training had ever prepared me for such pain. Nobody in my home time had ever imagined flight possible, let alone falling from such a great height. 

I began to feel dizzy and I gasped, trying to suck in air enough to breathe with. I coughed and my eyes watered as I lay there, unable to move, barely able to breathe. A shadow passed over me and stayed and I looked up, trying to see what was there. 

Slowly, a human face came into view. She was dressed in flowing green robes, her face framed by wavy golden hair like a halo. She knelt down next to me, brilliant green eyes filled with worry. She looked quite delicate, so delicate that I was not sure she was even real. 

She reached in through the shattered opening in my helmet and lightly pressed a slim hand against my forehead. Almost immediately, I felt my body begin to relax and the pain, impossible as it would seem, began to subside. The sickening feeling in my stomach faded and I began to feel sleepy, my eyelids drooping closed. 

"Rest now, samurai. You are in good hands..." 

* * *

_ Floating. I was floating. Complete weightlessness, I could feel nothing but myself. No pain, no sickness, just myself. I was not sure if I was dead, but I could feel myself, which had to mean that I was still alive somehow. A dream, perhaps. _

Somewhere in the distance, I could hear singing. A soft, lilting song in my native Japanese. It was almost too faint to hear, but I could hear it. Someone was singing to me from somewhere. A woman. My mother, perhaps, but that was impossible. 

Itooshii hito no tame ni ima nani ga dekiru ka na?(What can I do now for my loved one?)  
Kanawanai yume wa nai yo! Massugu ni shinjiteru(It is not an unfulfilled dream! I believe in what lies ahead...) 

Densetsu ga ugokidashite(The legend begins to stir)  
Hontou no watashi ga hirogeru(And the real me unfurls)  
(Tooku hibiku "wo ai ni") anata ni michibikarete((Distant echoes of "wo ai ni") lead me to you)  
(Mezamete yuku tamashi) hikaridasu mou hitotsu no sekai((My awakening soul) shines going into this other world) 

Itooshii hito no tame ni ima nani ga dekiru ka na?(What can I do now for my loved one?)  
Kanawanai yume wa nai yo! Massugu ni shinjiteru(It is not an unfulfilled dream! I believe in what lies ahead...) 

Ten to chi no aida ni aru(To have a relationship between heaven and earth)  
Mekurumeku bouken ni muchuu(To turn the page and be absorbed into adventure)  
(Egao misete "nihao ma") anata ni mimamorarete((A smiling face shows "nihao ma") watching over you protectively)  
(Ai wa hikaru seiza) omoidasu mou hitotsu no kiseki((Love is a shining constellation) remembering in this miracle) 

Isshou ichi to no da ai tamashi ni kizan de ne(Throughout one's life one time's meeting engraves in the spirit)  
Donna toki datte ai wa sukuidato omou kara(Even if that time love is rescued from a memory) 

I looked up, seeing a faint beacon of light high above me, shimmering as a pond would. The singing seemed to be coming from there, if only I could get to it. I had a feeling it would lead me back to reality or consciousness, one or the other. 

Out of the shadows, I could just barely make out the form of a rock formation, perhaps a cliff. I hurried over and began to climb, pulling myself slowly up the steep side towards the light. Suddenly, the rock began to shift beneath me and I was thrown back down the few feet which I had climbed as the cliff began to take another form. 

"Poor samurai, lost in his own consciousness." the form taunted. 

Aku! It was impossible for him to be in my mind! He towered above me, almost tall enough to block out the light above me. My heart pounded and I reached for my faithful katana, only to find it was not hanging at my hip as it usually did. Had I lost it in space? 

"What's the matter, samurai? Lost your sword?" 

"I can defeat you, with or without the sword, Aku." I said. 

"I don't think so. You are nothing without that sword. Just a human, a weak human who can't even touch me." 

Black talons lashed out and I rolled out of the way, feeling them rake painfully down my back. This was all wrong. I never left my sword alone for a moment, not even while I was in a bath. It could not be stolen from me, either, I would have known. Nor could Aku have touched it, not without being harmed by the white magic of the blade. 

"You will never regain consciousness, foolish one. So long as you are without your sword, you cannot touch me, even within your own consciousness." 

For a moment, it might have seemed true, except that he doomed himself with his own words. If it was true that I was within my own consciousness, my own mind, then I was the one who was truly in control. Of course Aku could not be in my mind, this was all just a dream, a reflection of my own thoughts and fears. 

"You are wrong, Aku, for you see, I can touch you. You are within MY mind, MY consciousness, where I alone am in control." I said. 

He began to laugh and I steeled myself, reaching to my hip once again, this time finding my katana there waiting for me. I drew it and sprang forward, striking the center of the demon before he could recover and realize his folly. The blade shown brightly and the white magic within it vaporized Aku into mist before surrounding me in its brilliance. Slowly, it drew me towards the source of the light above, pulling me back to myself. 

* * *

Slowly, I opened my eyes, feeling safe and warm. I did not recognize where I was, finding myself in a bed in what appeared to be a stone castle. Sunlight shimmered through the window, illuminating the white and green decor of the room. Through a nearby window, I could see that I was high above the clouds, perhaps on a mountain somewhere. There were a few trees and a shimmering waterfall in the distance. 

I closed my eyes again and sighed, enjoying the comfortable warmth of a soft bed, even though my body still ached a bit. I wondered how long I had been unconscious. A few days? Weeks? Months? Longer? How long would it take for a person to recover from such injuries? However long it had been, the pain was at least tolerable for the most part now. 

I began to become aware of a warm tingling feeling that ran over every inch of my body. It was odd, but not uncomfortable, feeling not unlike how I did when I was in a hot bath, only I was not wet in the least. I realized then that I had been stripped down to my fundoshi and that I was not alone. There was someone there next to me in the bed. 

I slowly turned my head, shifting my weight as little as possible as to not disturb whoever was there, taking a look. I was not sure what I had been expecting to find, but it was not what I found. Curled up on the large, soft bed next to me was the woman I had caught a glimpse of before I had slipped into unconsciousness. 

She was curled up close to the pillow, long, wavy, golden hair spilling out behind her on the green blankets. Her arm was draped over my chest and she looked as delicate as I had first thought. She was not a dream. She was real and she was here. She was also very naked. 

My face heated up with a fierce blush and I tried to distentangle myself from her, wondering just what she would be doing lying next to me like that. I wanted to let the woman rest, but found it difficult to move as I had wanted to, the pain increasing as soon as I moved away from her. I gently took her hand in mine, trying to lift it off my chest, only to receive a bit of a shock as soon as I did. 

The moment my hand wrapped around her slim wrist, I felt an increase in the warm tingling that had been washing over my body when I had awakened. It did not seem possible, but it was apparent that the warm tingling had been coming from this woman. The question now was...why? I lowered the hand to my chest again, hoping that I had not disturbed her. 

A soft moan came from the woman and I froze, watching as her eyes slowly opened and blinked at me. Her eyes were definitely green, a brilliant, piercing, emerald green that seemed to delve into my very soul. She stretched a bit and sat up, reaching over to brush a few strands of hair from my face. The warm tingle followed her warm touch, sending a warm shudder through my body. 

"Welcome back, samurai." she said softly. 

I felt my face heat up again and respectfully looked away. 

"Thank you, miss." 

The bed shifted, followed by the sound of clothing rustling. I looked over and saw that she had pulled on a white robe of silk trimmed with green. She sat back down next to me, running her warm, soft hands over my face, shoulders, and chest, soothing the pain away. I allowed myself to relax under the warm touch, looking up at her. 

"How do you feel?" she asked. 

"Better, thank you. And hungry." 

"Of course." 

She smiled and went over to a fireplace where a kettle hung over a fire. Something bubbled inside of it and my nostrils caught the warm scent of meat and noodles and vegetables. She picked up a bowl and took the ladle from the pot, pouring what looked like stew into it. My stomach growled loudly as she brought it over, handing it to me. 

"Thank you." I said. 

She smiled again and gestured for me to go ahead. I picked up the spoon and took a bite, finding it delicious. Warmth spread through my body as I ate, trying to enjoy each bite even though I was very hungry. She sat back down next to me on the bed, watching me as I ate. 

"Who are you?" I finally asked. 

"My name is Chimitsu and I'm the elemental of Air. I apologize for my appearance. You were badly injured and I had to use every bit of my healing powers to keep you alive." 

"Why did you help me?" 

"I couldn't let you die in that crash, Jack. The one who possesses the ability and the blade that can destroy Aku once and for all...I just couldn't." 

I sighed and looked into the soup bowl before taking a few bites. Even the elements themselves had heard of me and had faith in my abilities, yet I could not help but feel as if I might not ever defeat Aku. I had been trying for months now and I had still failed. 

"What is wrong?" she asked. 

"I have been hunting and fighting Aku for almost a year now. Our paths have crossed many times, but each time, he eludes me. I am not certain that I can destroy him and I cannot return to my home time unless I do." 

"You have come close to destroying him before." 

"Close does not mean I am able." 

"Only if you give up, Jack. You're a warrior, which is more than I can say for myself. As the Elemental of Air, my abilities lie more within the defenses of the elements. Defenses and healing. My fighting skills are only minimal. But you can fight. You have had Aku at the brink of destruction at least once now, despite his cleverness." 

"Once out of how many times he and I have met?" 

"It does not matter. You are still the best man for the job. You know Aku's treachery and tricks better than any man alive." 

"And yet I still have fallen for them." 

"Because you are only human. You are not an omnipotent Elemental, you are just a man and evil such as Aku is very clever. And when he was not being clever, he was extremely fortunate." 

"I let my guard down that time I had him. That was not fortune, that was foolishness." 

"You made a mistake and you have learned from it. That is not failure." 

"Perhaps, but it could take me a long time before I find his castle again." 

"It does not have to be a long time." 

"How?" 

"There is a way for you to find Aku without any interruption or tricks, to catch him unaware and to return yourself to your own time." 

I looked at her and thought about this. If what she said was true, then I could not pass it up. It always took a very long time for me to find Aku's castle and I always needed to rely on others who were not always very trustworthy. 

"What must I do?" 

"All you need to do is to prove you worth to myself and my sisters." 

"There are more of you?" 

"Of course. There are four more Elementals like myself and the Great Elemental. Myself and my sisters each guard an Elemental gem, five total. When the five are joined together, they form the Star of the Elements and can bring forth the Great Elemental who can help you if you are worthy enough." 

"How can I prove myself?" 

"We each test you in different things." 

"When will I be able to be tested?" 

"Soon, Jack, after you have healed. I have been able to repair most of the damage done to your body, but you are still not fully recovered. You need to rest and recover and when you are ready, you will be tested." 

I nodded and finished my stew as Chimitsu walked over to the window, looking outside. I watched her as I ate, seeing how delicate and frail she appeared to be. But perhaps appearances were deceiving. She was an Elemental and she did say she had some fighting ability. She even managed to bring me here, wherever here was, from that meadow I had crashed in from space. No, she was not as frail as she appeared to be, that much was certain. 

Perhaps she only looked frail because she had used so much of her power in healing me. I was not sure how much power an Elemental had or if they even had limits in the first place, but if they did, I had a feeling that repairing such injuries would have taxed whatever power she had. She continued to look out the window and somehow, she seemed a little bit sad. I was not sure why, but I did not wish to disturb her. 

I carefully pushed the blankets aside and slowly swung my feet over the edge of the large bed, intending on bringing my empty bowl over to the table for her. The stone felt cool and soothing beneath my feet and it was only now that I noticed that while my skin did not hurt as much as it had when I had landed, it was still very red, like a bad sunburn. I slowly stood up, my legs shaking with the effort. I stood there for a moment, trying to get a feel for balance, only to have my legs give out beneath me and I collapsed to the floor hard, the bowl and spoon clattering against the floor beside me. 

I groaned and tried to pull myself up to my feet again, my muscles and body aching and protesting as I moved. Immediately, Chimitsu was at my side, helping me up and back into bed, running her soft, warm, magical hands over my body. I began to relax as the pain subsided, sighing softly. 

"I am sorry." I said softly. 

"Don't be. It's all right. I'm not too surprised you collapsed on your first try with how long you've been out and recovering." 

"How long?" 

"A little over a week. Rest now, dear samurai. You'll be ready to take up the tests soon enough." 

I sighed and nodded, curling up again under the warm blankets, relaxing in the softness of the mattress and pillow. Chimitsu walked around the edge of the bed, singing the same tune from before as she drew the drapes closed and lit a few candles. I felt the bed shift behind me and felt her warm arms wrap around me once more, the warm tingling returning. 

Slowly, my eyelids slid shut and I drifted off to the sound of her singing and the feel of her healing energies enveloping my body. Soon, Aku would see defeat and I would return to my homeland and the past from which I came. 


	2. Ichi: Kaze - The Journey Begins

Some time later, I slowly opened my eyes, finding my body feeling better than it had earlier. I was not quite healed, but the redness of my skin had faded down to a pink color and I was able to move a bit easier. I stretched and sat up, seeing that night had fallen and the only light in the room came from the fireplace. Chimitsu was nowhere to be found. 

I stretched again and laid back down, my arm brushing against something soft and warm next to me. I paused and lowered it, turning to see who it was. There, curled up beside me was Chimitsu, lying on her back. She was sound asleep, but she looked weaker than she had when I had fallen asleep. 

Her pale skin looked even more pale and she was breathing shallowly, her pulse weak. The moment I lifted her hand from the pillow, her eyelids fluttered open and she looked at me. She smiled and she seemed to brighten when she saw me, her breath becoming more stable. 

"Jack..." she said. 

"Chimitsu, are you all right?" 

"I'm fine, just a bit drained. Haven't repaired injuries this bad in quite some time." 

"Perhaps you should rest, then. I will be fine for awhile, thank you. Rest and recover." 

"I shouldn't. You're not fully recovered yet." 

"It can wait. It is not worth draining your health for." 

She sighed heavily and laid back against the pillow, looking at me. 

"You almost didn't survive, Jack. It took every ounce of my power to keep you alive and bring you back to this point of recovery. I haven't done that in centuries." 

"Please, Chimitsu. Rest. I will be all right until you recover your power enough to finish your work. You have done enough. More than enough." 

She sighed again and nodded, lowering her arm to her chest as she rolled onto her back. I sat next to her, watching her, wondering if it was at all possible for an Elemental to die. She seemed so frail and not once had she said that she had the powers of a goddess. 

"Chimitsu?" I asked. 

"Yes?" 

"How badly was I hurt that it took so much of your power to repair the damage done?" 

"Badly enough. I was quite surprised that you had even survived. If not for your rocket pack, you wouldn't have. You broke nearly every bone in your body and had massive internal injuries. No doctor alive could have saved you, even if they had wanted to." 

I frowned, watching her eyes full of compassion and even a bit of what seemed to be sadness. 

"I remember my skin feeling as if it was on fire as I fell from space down into the clouds. What happened?" 

"Second degree burns, some third degree in places." 

I did not understand her words completely, but the memory of how much it hurt gave me an idea. I shuddered at the memory of feeling as if I had been immersed in fire, helpless to stop it. Chimitsu's eyes showed her sympathy, knowing that it had to have hurt me. 

"Where is my kimono and the rest of my clothing?" 

"I will make new ones soon as I have the strength. Your kimono and most of your clothing had melted into your skin from the heat of the atmosphere as you reentered it. There's only bits and pieces left, falling off when your burns healed. Don't worry. It will be here when you awaken. Sleep, Jack. Rest and let your body heal." 

I sighed and laid back down, curling up on my side next to her. I felt her warm hands upon my back and instantly relaxed under the warm touch, closing my eyes. I felt myself begin to drift and soon, I was sound asleep once more. 

* * *

When I opened my eyes again sometime later, sunlight streamed through the window and across the bed over my body. I stretched and then curled up under the blankets again, feeling warm and content. I did not want to leave such a soft, comfortable bed, but my body felt healed and I knew that I had to go about my quest. 

Slowly I stretched and rolled onto my back, looking up at the stone ceiling before realizing that the bed seemed oddly empty. I looked to my side and found that Chimitsu was not there. I sat up and looked around, finding the room equally empty with no sign of her anywhere. Perhaps she was in another part of this castle. 

I sighed and looked to my other side, finding a new kimono and obi folded neatly on a chair beside me. Across the top lay my katana, the scabbard cleaned and polished. I pushed the blankets aside and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, standing and dressing. On the floor were my wooden zori, also appearing to be either new or repaired. 

Slipping my katana into my obi, I walked over towards the door and headed out, looking for Chimitsu. The hallway I stepped into was stone, lit by rows of candles along the wall amongst tapestries depicting sky scenery. I continued down the corridor until I came to a winding stone staircase. It did not look as if there were any other ways out, so I headed on down, heading into a large, open room lit with candlelight chandeliers. 

I looked around for any sign of Chimitsu, finding none. There did not seem to be anyone else around, either and I wondered if she had gone outside. I headed through the heavy wooden doors and was greeted with a breathtaking mountainside view. Trees grew sporadically on the mountainside amongst the cloudy mists shimmering in the sunlight. 

Stone walkways filled the mountainside for some distance, looking like a small city high above the clouds. A fitting place for the elemental of Air to live, of course. Now if only I could find her, finding it odd that she had left me alone. True, I had healed, but I had expected her to at least be in the castle somewhere. 

I walked along the stone path, looking around for her, hoping that she was all right. She had been quite weak when I had last seen her and I did not know how long it would take before she would be able to regenerate her powers back to full capacity. A cool wind blew at my back and I shivered, beginning to get the feeling that something was wrong somehow. 

I continued along the path, the castle disappearing back into the clouds behind me, the wind rustling my kimono. Far below the stone city was a valley filled with trees, a waterfall sounding nearby. I looked over, seeing it shimmering in the sunlight through the clouds, trees growing nearby. I leaned against the stone railing and sighed, closing my eyes, trying to think of where she could be. 

The breeze died down for a moment, then seemed to switch directions, coming from the way I was headed. I paused and looked over towards the waterfall, catching a peculiar scent, one that did not seem to belong here. It was not anything like the smell that permeated Aku's lair, but smelled of a foul presence, perhaps another demon or a monster. 

The wind blew again and this time, the odd scent was accompanied by the light scent of nature that seemed to always accompany Chimitsu. I straightened and hurried down the path towards the waterfall, wondering if the wind had not been sent by her as a warning. I did not know what she was warning me of, but if she was in any sort of trouble, I was not going to leave her behind to face it alone. 

My sandals clattered against the stone walkway as I neared the waterfall, the breeze ruffling my kimono as I ran. The scent grew stronger the closer I came and soon I could hear the roar of the falls. I could feel it now, the tension and danger in the air. I was very close now. Soon I could hear Chimitsu's screams and I ran even faster towards the falls. 

When I finally reached them, I could see Chimitsu in her white robes, in the grasp of a nine-headed, nine-tailed hydra. One of its tails had coiled around her body, squeezing tightly. She struggled, but did not seem to be having any luck. No wonder, if she was as weakened from healing me as I thought she was. 

I hurried over, looking up at her, seeing her pale face reddened with the effort of trying to break free. 

"Chimitsu!" I cried. 

She opened her eyes and looked down at me, feet kicking over her head as the hydra flipped her headfirst down towards me. 

"Jack!" 

"How did a hydra get here?" 

"They're native here, usually in the valleys. Rarely do they come up the mountainside." 

I furrowed my brow, trying to think of what to do. I had heard of hydras while training in Greece as a teenager, most of them fearsome creatures and usually very aggressive. From what I knew, they could not be killed except by cutting off the heads and searing the wounds with fire. That would prove to be a difficult task, particularly with Chimitsu caught in its tails. 

"I'm sorry, Jack, I must have surprised it here. They don't usually give me any trouble, knowing I'm an Elemental." she said. 

"Still, I am going to have to get you down from there." 

"Don't worry about me, Jack, I'll be fine! Not the first time I've been caught up by a hydra." 

"But is it the first time you have been caught after a long healing?" 

She struggled again and then sighed, relaxing, her robes and hair hanging in her face. She said something unintelligable and squirmed again, only to have the hydra tighten its grip around her. Two of its heads coiled from the group and down to look her over. 

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them said. 

"It looks like a tender Elemental." the other said. 

Another head wound down to look at her, shaking at the other two. 

"I say we throw her back. There's hardly enough meat on those delicate little bones to make a meal for us." it said. 

"Well, she can be an appetizer then." 

A fourth head wound down, eyeing me hungrily. 

"If the little Elemental's our appetizer, I say we make _this_ one our main course!" it said, licking its lips. 

The other three stopped arguing over Chimitsu long enough to look over, each looking me over. Chimitsu struggled again, only to be stopped with a tight squeeze from the tail that was holding her. The four looked at each other, then to their five remaining heads. 

"What do you say, brothers? Is he enough for a meal?" one said. 

"Looks rather small..." another said. 

"Yes, but just look at him. There's bound to be more meat on his bones than hers." 

"Pah! Between the two of them, we'll still be hungry!" 

"Then what do you suggest?" a third asked. 

"We can bring them both with or eat them now and go searching for more food." 

"Have you gone mad? I've seen gladiators and wrestlers bigger than the two of them combined!" 

The heads rose up and began to argue loudly, entwining around each other as they fought. I looked at Chimitsu and she looked at me, seemingly forgotten for the moment. She could no longer move save for her feet and head, looking as if she needed more air, her face turning a grayish tinge. 

The creature continued to argue and I took the moment to unsheathe my katana and spring into the air, swinging down at the tail that held Chimitsu. I had expected to cut clean through, but instead I merely bounced off, slamming hard into the stone walkway. This was not good, not by a long shot. 

The arguing stopped and a few of the heads unwound from their brothers, leaning down towards me. 

"Now just what did you hope to accomplish, little swordsman?" one of them asked. 

"Please, release the Elemental. She has done nothing to harm you." 

The heads looked at me before they all broke into laughter, the tails behind them flailing about. 

"Oh, that may be true, but what makes you think we are going to release our food just because you asked?" another spoke. 

"Please. I do not wish to harm you." 

"You? Harm us? I must say, after that pitiful attempt to slice off our tail with that little butter knife, I highly doubt that you will be able to harm us." 

"Are you sure that I do not know the way to defeat a hydra?" 

The heads stopped laughing and leaned down in a circle around me. They watched me carefully for a few moments before rising back up high above us. One coiled down around the tail holding Chimitsu, grinning nastily. 

"So what if you do? There are nine of us and only one of you. You're outnumbered, you know." it said. 

"That does not matter." 

The creature watched me and then looked to Chimitsu, giving me the opportunity to hold my blade over the railing, heating the metal in a torch hanging on the side. I held it behind myself, never taking my eyes from the creature. 

"You must be a fool to think that one head is better than nine." another said. 

"I never said one head was better. I merely said that the number of heads against one lone samurai did not matter." 

At that moment, I sprang up and onto the tail that held Chimitsu, plunging my heated blade into it. This time, my katana sank into the creature's flesh, drawing a roar of pain from it. Its grip on Chimitsu loosened and she began to slide out of it as the tail flailed about. 

Suddenly, she dropped out of the coil and towards the edge of the mountain over the railing. I withdrew my blade and slid down to the walkway as she grabbed ahold of the tip, hanging on as tightly as she could. The hydra gave another roar and several heads came down at me, snapping rapidly. I quickly hopped out of the way, the sharp teeth catching only air. 

The only problem was, the creature was chasing me away from Chimitsu and I was not sure how long she could hold onto the end of its tail. I leapt over the fourth head and sprang forward, bouncing from the third to the second to the fifth to the first, leaping for Chimitsu as she lost her grip on the thrashing tail. I rolled to the stone walkway as she fell over the railing, the tail swinging overhead. 

I wasted no time in diving for her, hoping to catch her before she was out of reach from the walkway. My hand closed around her wrist and she dangled there, high above the valley and certain death. I held on as tightly as I could, knowing that the hydra was right there behind us, but I could not let her fall. 

"Fall and die!" 

One of the tails lashed out, striking me across the back and knocking me over the railing as well. I held on tightly to Chimitsu's hand, reaching down to pull her closer to me, trying to think of how we could stop our fall. She could not have saved me from one fall, only for us both to die in another so soon after. 

But there was no possible way for us to stop, nothing for either of us to grab onto. Chimitsu hung tightly on my back, her arms crossed about my chest under my arms tighter than I expected she could. The wind whistled by us as we raced towards the ground, howling in my ears. 

Suddenly, our descent began to slow and then stopped altogether. I could hardly believe it, but it was true. I was hovering in midair with Chimitsu on my back, yet neither myself or Chimitsu had a rocket pack. Neither of us could fly that I knew of, so how could we be hanging in midair? Had the hydra caught us? 

I looked up at Chimitsu and what I saw was more than I could have ever believed had I not seen it with my own eyes. A pair of white, glimmering wings extended from her back, flapping not unlike a bird's would. She held me effortlessly as she flew us both back up to the castle, over the railing, and back onto the stone walkway. There was no sign of the hydra, yet I knew it could not have gone far. 

"Are you all right?" she asked. 

"I think so. How did you do that?" 

"The wings? They come with the territory, dearie." 

I reached out and gently touched one of the wings, finding it soft and warm, yet very strong. It had to be to carry not only her, but myself upwards as well. She giggled at me and lightly swatted me upside the head with the other wing, the feathers ruffling my topknot. 

"Why did you not do this earlier?" I asked. 

"It was not necessary to reveal all my powers until it was needed." 

"Then you were not weakened by the healing?" 

"Oh, I was, when you last saw me before falling asleep. I recovered in that time." 

"Then why did you not use your power to escape from the hydra?" 

"That, dear samurai, was all a part of your test." 

"You..." 

She smiled innocently at me and I chuckled as her wing swatted me again. 

"Then there was no hydra at all." I said. 

"Nope! It was an illusion I created. There are hydras in the valley, but they rarely do come all this way up here, let alone bother me. They know better than to try and harm the Elemental who allows them to live on her mountain or those she chooses to protect. You did well, samurai." 

"Then, I passed the test?" 

"Of course! Did you ever think you wouldn't?" 

"No, but I did not know that the hydra was part of the test." 

"Of course not. You weren't supposed to know when you were being tested. We want to see the real you at your best without even trying to do well at such a thing. The Infinity Gem is yours, Jack, guard it well." 

She held up her hands and a small, diamond-shaped green stone appeared in them. I gently took it and looked at it, feeling a warm power rush through my body from it. I placed it in a small black bag Chimitsu gave me and tied it to my obi beside my katana. 

"Thank you, Chimitsu, not just for the jewel, but for helping me as well." I said. 

She smiled and took my hands in hers, her wings settling down and folding against her back. 

"Of course. If anyone is worthy of the Star of the Elements and the powers it holds, it is you. Now, go to the south. My sister, Fire, awaits you there." 

"Very well. Take care, and be careful around hydras." 

She laughed and lightly swatted me with her wings again. 

"Of course. Be careful, Jack, do not let that jewel fall into the wrong hands. Aku is clever and dangerous and there's no telling what he would do with the power of the Elements." 

"Understood. I will not fail you. Sayonara, Chimitsu." 

"Farewell, dear samurai." 

She smiled and guided me to a long, winding, stone staircase that lead down the mountainside. I paused a few steps down and turned back to look at her, seeing her watching me from the walkway above. She smiled and waved to me, looking stronger than she had in days. I waved back before turning and heading on my way down the staircase, disappearing into the mists. 

One trial had now been completed, the trial of Wind. Four more awaited me and I could not waste any time lest Aku catch on to what had happened here in this mountainside castle. With my katana and the Infinity Jewel at my side, I began to head south as Chimitsu had said, towards the home of the Elemental of Fire. 


	3. Ni: Honoo - The Child Thief And The Sing...

I sighed heavily and knelt down in the sand with my hands on my katana, head bowed in frustration. How could I have been so stupid? She had all the markings of Aku. Green, red, and mostly black with the edges of her dress curled just as Aku's horns were. 

A few feet from my knees lay the remains of what had once been a brilliant green gem with the power to send me home. Now all that was left were a few broken shards, powerless, useless, worth nothing more than glass. The monster it had brought forth had also disappeared with its power destroyed, leaving me alone in the oasis. 

With another heavy sigh, I knew that it would be pointless to stay and mourn the loss of an opportunity. I stood and took my katana from the sand, sliding it into its sheath before making my way back through the desert, returning to the city from which I had originally traveled from in search of the jewel. Where I had met Ikra. Chances were good that the store owner had either been killed or forced into another location. 

As it was when I had first arrived, the marketplace and city was bustling with people going about their business. Occasionally, the smell of food would find my nose and my stomach would rumble impatiently, but I had nothing of worth save for the Infinity Jewel and I was not about to sell that. Even though one jewel had failed, perhaps it was meant to be when I was carrying one of five keys back home. Keys that Aku had no knowledge of. 

I looked around for any sign of Aku or his droids, but oddly enough, there were none. Usually they were all over hunting for me, following me, but not a single one was to be found. I kept a close eye on my surroundings, my warrior's instinct not liking Aku's absense. 

Once more, my stomach growled and I sighed, deciding to see if I could find some way to obtain a meal. I heard music from down the street and followed it to a dark, club-type bar, filled with all sorts of odd aliens and desert dwellers. At least the waitresses did not have three eyes here. I sighed and made my way over to a table, wondering how I was going to pay for anything without selling the jewel. 

A waitress brought over a menu and I looked it over, trying to appear less nervous than I was. Fortunately, in addition to the odd local language, there were listings in both English and Japanese and I carefully looked over the items they offered. The music poured from the band on the stage, almost completely blocking out the sound of footsteps as the waitress returned, a drink in hand. 

"Here you go, sir." she said. 

I looked up at her, completely confused. I had no money and had not made an order. Could she have made a mistake? 

"I am sorry, miss, but I did not order anything." 

"That's ok, sir. It's from the lady over by the stage." 

I looked over towards where the waitress pointed, seeing a redheaded woman in a long red dress waving to me. I blinked, not having a single clue who she was, but decided to be polite and accept the drink. I nodded back in gratitude and the waitress left, heading back over towards the bar. 

I continued to look over the menu as I sipped my drink, my stomach growling at me in protest as I delayed making a choice. Finally, the waitress returned, this time with a plateful of food. I glanced over at the redhead again, seeing her smile and nod at me. How very odd that a complete stranger would help me like this. Somehow, I did not feel any danger from her and nodded again, setting the menu aside and eating. 

I was not entirely sure what I had been brought, but it tasted quite good, like chicken. I ate and drank my fill, watching the performers on stage, enjoying the music. Yet, even as I did so, I kept my eyes and ears alert for any sign of Aku or his droids. I did not dare to relax or let my guard down, lest he take advantage of my moment of weakness. 

After awhile, the woman over by the stage came over, sitting down across from me. I paused and looked at her, wondering what she wanted with me and why she had helped me. She merely smiled and said nothing, simply watching me eat. After a few moments of this, I set down my chopsticks and looked at her. 

"May I help you, miss?" I asked. 

"I've been looking for you." 

"Looking for me? I am sorry, but I have never seen you before." 

She chuckled and I looked her over carefully. She had a great deal of red on and her eyes were green, but I did not see a single mark of black anywhere on her. She could not have been Aku. Not only were her markings different, but I knew that Aku would not think I was foolish enough to fall for the same trick twice. I relaxed a bit and sat back. 

"Forgive me. My name is Himoto and I'm one of the singers here. I have heard plenty about you, Jack." 

"So I see. It seems that my reputation preceeds me." 

"That it does. I hope you don't mind that I bought you a drink and a meal." 

"Well...I do appreciate it. Thank you. However, it is odd that you, a total stranger, would go out of your way for a wanted man such as myself." 

She laughed a little and shook her head. 

"It isn't any trouble at all. It was clear that you were hungry and had no money." 

I swallowed hard, trying not to choke on the bite of food I was eating. Had I been that obvious or was she just exceptionally perceptive? She may not have been Aku, but there was something about here that was not usual for the average person, even in this strange land. Chances were she was a droid or bounty hunter looking to cash in. 

"Why would you be looking for me? Expecting to make a quick buck?" I asked. 

She appeared a bit shocked and I wondered if I had stepped out of line. 

"Are you suggesting that I am a bounty hunter, samurai?" 

Ouch, busted. I had indeed overstepped my boundaries. 

"My apologies. Most people who take any amount of interest in me are only out for themselves by turning me in to Aku. As it was, the last time a person took interest in me, it turned out to be Aku himself, masquerading as a woman." 

"No offense taken. With all the attention you attract, I'd be worried if you weren't careful around me. I have no intention of turning you in to Aku. I make plenty of good money singing here, I have no need for a bounty. I am merely seeking out the lone warrior who has managed to thwart and elude Aku time and time again when all others have fallen. I figure there must be something very special about him." 

"I am sorry to say, but I am just a simple samurai. There is nothing special about me or what I do." 

She leaned in closer, trailing a gloved hand down along my arm towards where my katana hung at my hip. I stiffened and scooted away a bit, not liking having someone so close to me like that. She did not seem to notice and merely smiled, lightly tapping my nose. I blinked and watched her, still unable to figure her out. 

"Of course there are plenty of things special about you, Jack. You wouldn't be so famous if you weren't special. Even your sword is unique and well known and your skill has been reported to be unmatched by anyone else in the known universe." 

"I am sorry, but my sword is not for sale or use for anyone but myself. It holds too much value for me to give it up." 

"Oh, there is no need to worry, Jack, I have no intention of buying or taking that sword of yours from you. I don't even really want to see it. The sword is unimportant. It is you I am interested in, not anything else." 

She leaned in closer again, her eyes burning with an intensity I had never seen before in anyone. I felt odd under that heated gaze, as if I was falling into a warm bath or pool, my body wanting to relax even though my mind fought it. Her hand found its way onto my leg, slowly sliding up along my thigh towards the lower folds of my kimono. I squirmed a bit, trying to get away, my instincts screaming for me to get out of there as fast as I could. 

_*TUG*_

My katana brushed against my ribcage and I felt my obi jerk a little as a young boy rushed past the table. I gasped and looked down, finding the black bag with the Infinity Jewel in it missing. Damn! The kid must have taken it while I was distracted by Himoto. 

"Is something wrong?" she asked. 

"I am sorry, Himoto-san, I must go." 

Before she could stop me, I sprang to my feet and dashed through the crowd and out the door after the boy. I heard her curse behind me, wondering why she was upset at my departure when I had apologized for leaving in such a hurry before running off. Knowing that I could not worry about it for long, I looked around before dashing down the street after the boy. 

Ahead of me he ran, dashing and twisting through the streets, heading for a busier section of the city. It was obvious that he had some practice in pickpocketing, darting and dashing through the city expertly. I was able to keep up, but just barely, watching as he disappeared into a crowd at the marketplace. 

I squeezed my way through after him as quickly as I could, realizing that he had deliberately headed in here. His small size would allow him to slip through the mass of people faster than I would be able to. I squeezed through as quickly as I could without being rude, but by the time I managed to make my way through the crowd, the boy was gone and so was the Infinity Jewel. 

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding furiously in my chest. I could not lose that jewel, not now, not so soon! I looked around, but there was no sign of him whatsoever. He could be anywhere by now, turned anywhere in that crowd, and I would not have seen him. He could even be on his way to Aku by now, hoping to cash in on what I had in that bag. 

"Hey, leggo!" 

I turned towards the voice and dashed down another street as fast as I could, wondering if it could be the little thief. I followed the angry child's voice down the streets, turning a corner to see the same little boy struggling to get away from someone. Himoto. I had made a full circle back towards the club where I had met her, realizing that the boy had tried to double back and get away. 

"Leggo of me, ya old bag!" he cried indignantly. 

"Old bag?! OLD...BAG?!" 

She leaned in closer to him, giving the kid a hard stare as he dangled from her hand, trying to kick her. I would have laughed if I had not seen the bag with the Infinity Jewel in it dangling from his hand. Himoto looked at him again, looking as if she could catch fire any moment if she had been any angrier. She reached up and plucked the bag from the boy's hand before dropping him. 

"Beat it, kid, and watch your manners next time." she said as he ran off. 

I looked over at her and gave her a polite bow, catching the bag as she tossed it to me. 

"Thank you." 

"We meet again, samurai." 

"Forgive me for leaving so suddenly. I could not let that boy get away with that bag." 

I tied it back onto my obi and she chuckled, waving off the apology. 

"No worries. Actually, it was probably a good thing that you chased after such an exquisite and rare jewel." 

I paused and looked up at her, wondering if she knew about the Infinity Jewel or what it even was. Somehow, I doubted it, otherwise she most likely would have kept it for herself or even possibly turned it in to Aku. Then again, she did lend me a hand. Perhaps she was not the sort who would turn me or the jewel in to Aku. 

The sun had begun to sink below the horizon and more people began to pour into the club as the market stalls began to close. I sighed a little and looked off towards the sunset. I needed to find the fire Elemental soon, yet it was almost too late to begin a journey. 

"You look tired, samurai." Himoto said. 

"I am all right, thank you." 

"C'mon. It's late and you've been travelling a long way. Let me get you to a hotel for the night, all right?" 

I paused a bit, thinking about her offer. I had traveled a long way from the oasis where Ikra/Aku had destroyed the other gem and I was a bit tired. I did want to get a start on the next leg of my journey, but she was right. It was late and I would need to sleep somewhere soon. I knew that it would not matter where I stayed since I would have difficulty obtaining a room in an inn without money. 

"All right. Thank you. It would be a good idea to rest before I continue on my journey." I finally said. 

"Good. Don't worry about the cost or repaying me. It's on me." 

She headed down the street through the street performers and dancers, moving to the beat of the music as she went. I followed as quickly as I could through the crowd and to the outskirts of the city to the south. A tall inn greeted us and she stepped in, faint music pouring out from the door. I followed and closed the door, taking a look around. 

The decor fit in with the rest of the city, mostly desert with some modern items such as electric lights, running water, that sort of thing. Himoto walked up to the desk and spoke in the local language to the innkeeper, who brought her a pair of worn brass keys. She thanked him and paid him before motioning for me to follow her. 

She led us up the wooden stairs to the third level and down the hall to a room marked with the same numbers as on the keys. She opened the door and we stepped inside to a small room with two beds, a lampstand, a table, a bathroom, and a desk. I closed the door behind myself as she turned on the lights. I sat down on the edge of one of the beds, stretching a bit. 

Himoto let her hair down and removed the swinging earrings from her ears, setting them down on the table as she took a seat. She slid her feet out of the red shoes she wore, watching me. I looked at her and yawned before looking at the clock. It was relatively early, yet I was wanting to get some rest before tomorrow. 

"You must be wanting to get some rest." she said. 

I looked over at her and nodded. 

"Yes. I would like to get caught up on my sleep and have an early start in the morning. There is much I must do before my work here is done.' 

"Of course. I shall try to be as quiet as I can." 

"Thank you." 

She nodded and I slipped out of my sandals, curling up on the bed in my fundoshi, trying to ignore the look she was giving me. I was not certain why she had wished to stay with me except that perhaps she was lonely and merely wanting to stay with someone for the night. Perhaps for safety, perhaps for mere company. 

I shrugged it off and snuggled under the blankets, finding the mattress warm and soft. I yawned and curled up to the pillow, feeling my body begin to relax. I took one moment to make sure the bag with the Infinity Jewel was resting on the lampstand next to me before closing my eyes again...and drifting off. 


	4. Ni: Honoo - Seduction

I tossed and turned in my sleep, trying to rest, but all I could see was Ikra as she transformed into Aku. Over and over again, she taunted and laughed at me in that sultry soft voice of hers. He had me. Aku could have destroyed me if he so wished, yet he did not, toying with me because he knew he could. 

Warm hands roamed over my body and I fought against the shadows, still hearing the echoes of Ikra's laugh in my mind. My heart pounded in my chest wildly, the first time since I had been in my training that I had felt real fear. I had not once suspected a thing with Ikra and it could have destroyed me. 

I gasped and jolted awake, breathing hard. The blankets were tangled around my legs and I was shaking. The room was dark and it took a moment for me to remember where I was. I sighed softly and laid back against the soft pillow, disentangling my legs from the blankets. 

I closed my eyes and sighed again, trying to relax so I could get some sleep before morning. The sounds of the city had quieted since when I had orignally gone to bed and only a few small beams of light peeked through the cracks in the curtains. It was warm, but not unbearably so. 

I could hear movement behind me and looked over, searching for Himoto, only to feel her leaning over me, her hair brushing against my face. For a moment, I thought she had mistaken which bed was hers, but only until a dim light filled the room, revealing that she knew what she was doing. I was still half asleep, but I could see that she had changed from the red dress into a deep red robe that left little to the imagination. 

"Himoto-san?" I asked. 

She leaned down and hushed me, her hands brushing against my sides, supporting her on the mattress as she leaned over me. I was not entirely sure if she was drunk or what had come over her, but I did not like how close she was and tried to push her away. The moment I touched her soft skin, however, I felt an intense warmth spread through my body and I began to relax. 

She simply pushed me back onto the bed as soon as I did this, kneeling close to me, her eyes meeting mine. There was an expression in them that I could not read and I felt as if I was sinking into a hot, soothing bath, not wanting to resist. But I had to and I shook my head, trying to push her away again. 

Undaunted, she pushed me back down and leaned down, slowly bringing her lips to mine. The warmth increased and I felt pleasantly dizzy, unable to stop myself from responding. Her lips were soft and she tasted sweet, like cherries, and my breath caught in my throat as her soft hands ran down my chest and sides and stomach, stopping only when they got to the edge of the sheets. 

As much as I wanted to sink into these warm feelings and enjoy them, something in the back of my mind tugged at me, reminding me that I had a bigger job to do. I slowly broke away and tried to push her away, pulling her hands from my chest. Her eyes showed disappointment and confusion, but somehow, I could not bring myself to continue. 

"Himoto-san..." I began. 

"What's wrong?" 

"I am sorry...but I cannot continue." 

"Why not?" 

Oddly enough, when I tried to pinpoint the reason why I was so hesitant, my mind seemed very foggy. I shook it off as being in need of sleep and tried to sit up. 

"I just...I just cannot." 

"Why can't you? Don't you want this? To have a woman at your side who would do anything for you? Who would live only to please you and make you happy?" 

I paused. Yes, it would be nice to be happy and feel no painful emotions, to live without anything going wrong, but that would not be fair to anyone to live only to serve another. I could not be happy or satisfied without knowing if they were truly happy themselves with what they were doing. 

"Where is the adventure in that? To have everything handed to you, to never know the satisfaction of earning something yourself?" 

"Better than having to constantly struggle to survive, giving everything to others and never know if you are appreciated, that it was worth the effort it took to do what you had to do." 

"Knowing that you did the right thing is reward enough." 

"Reward? That's not a reward, that's sacrifice." 

"Sacrifice or not, life would be much more satisfying in knowing that you did the right thing and you did it yourself without having other people do your work for you." 

"And what about the women, Jack? Being attracted, but always having to forget about trying and move on with your travels? Never knowing what it could be like to enjoy the company of a woman at your side or in your arms at night? Do you think you wish to sacrifice a family, a legacy, all in the name of honor and doing the right thing?" 

I froze at this. I had already been chasing Aku and seeking out a way home for several months now. What if there was no way home to my lost empire and my family? Aku's defeat I had no doubts about. I would either destroy him or I would merely die trying. 

But how long could that take? He was elusive and tricky and clever. Whenever his castle or lair had been discovered, it disappeared immediately after any attacks had been attempted on it. He never stayed in the same place once he had been discovered and he had never returned to anyplace he had been before. 

I could chase him until I was an old man. If it took that long to destroy him, I would never have any time for a family or love. It was a risk, but was I willing to take it? The only son of my father, the heir to the empire, to leave no legacy behind, no children? 

Apparently, Himoto caught my hesitation and sat next to me, leaning close, the top folds of her robe falling open to reveal, well, more than I would have liked. I quickly looked away, catching her eyes, starting to feel as if I was being pulled into them again. Deep, warm pools of liquid emerald gazing back at me, drawing me in. 

"Forget about him, Jack. Forget about Aku. He does not exist. He's just a bad dream, a nightmare. All you need to do is to think about me, focus on me, forget everything else." she said. 

Her eyes burned into me and her warm, soft hands roamed over my shoulders and chest and stomach once more. A part of me did indeed want to forget about Aku, forget about everything I had gone through, all the struggles and pain. I began to relax, not wanting to resist any longer. I wanted Aku and everything that had happened to be a nightmare, wanting to accept Himoto and what she was offering as reality. 

I felt as if I was sinking back into the life I had known as a boy before Aku had arrived and shattered everything. I would wake up and I would be back in my father's castle, safe with my parents, perhaps even my own wife and family. Aku and this terrible future would be all just a horrible dream. 

I wanted to be safe with my family and those I loved, perhaps so much that I was not going to care if it was an illusion. If I felt nothing but happiness and it was not fully real, then, did it matter at all? Just so that I was happy and nothing ever went wrong again? 

Her hands roamed over my shoulders and chest as she leaned down and kissed me again, this time more firmly. I did not resist, accepting it, responding, my hands reaching up to pull her down to me. I slid my arms around her shoulders, finding that she fit perfectly in my arms. 

She pulled away only briefly before kissing me again, harder and more intensely now, her tongue slowly sliding into my mouth, entwining with my own. I instinctively held her tighter, my breath catching in my chest. I had never imagined that a kiss could ever make one feel as if they are floating far beyond anything in reality. 

We broke apart again and I sighed contentedly, nuzzling her neck, catching the scent of cherry blossoms, vaguely remembering the trees that filled my home, littering the streets with pink petals in the springtime. I sat up more, supporting her with one arm as I did so, feeling her hands caress my shoulders and back. Her soft hair brushed against my shoulders, adding to the warm caresses. 

I lightly kissed her throat, slowly forgetting about why I was here or whom I was with, simply wanting to live in the moment and deal with the future when it arrived. She made me feel too good to want to let her go or to push her away. Her arms slid over my shoulders and her hands pressed against my back as she moaned and whispered soft love words to me, wanting to stay with me forever, to share eternity with me. 

I sank deeper into the feeling and moment, leaning back against the wall as she pressed closer to me. One arm supported her around the waist, the other reaching up so I could push aside one side of her robe, baring a pale shoulder. She moaned softly as I leaned down to lightly kiss her shoulder, my head spinning with the scent of cherry blossoms that surrounded her. 

Her lips found mine again, kissing deeply as one hand made its way up my back and neck, the fingers burying themselves in my hair. I continued the kiss as my hands found their way to her hips, shifting her weight over my legs. She gave a soft moan and one hand slid back over my shoulder, moving down my chest and stomach, coming to a rest on my fundoshi. 

Throwing any cares I had left to the wind, I broke the kiss, pulled her hand away and flipped her over on the bed, leaning over her. She laughed a little and I leaned down, kissing her again, her arms sliding around my shoulders, her legs on either side of me. The scent of cherry blossoms was heavy, strong now, filling every breath, reminding me of my lost home. 

Perhaps that was what set me off, I am not sure. 

From the back of my mind, images spilled forth of Aku, my father and mother, the archers scattering from their own arrows as they were flung back at them, the deep red color of the sky that night. Memories of watching Aku pull my father away and my mother carrying me away from the castle and paddling away from shore deep into the foggy harbor. Training long and hard around the world, learning as much as I could, all in hopes of the day when I would return and... 

My eyes snapped open and I looked down at Himoto and the position we were in, realizing what we had been about to do. Slowly, my head began to clear and I wondered just what had possessed me to forget everything I had done in my life, all that I had gone through because of that fateful day when Aku had shattered the happiness and prosperity my people and I had. All for a few hours of pleasure with a woman I just met, no less. 

The overpowering scent of cherry blossoms filled the room, but this time, it nearly made me ill. I backed away from Himoto and climbed off the bed, heart pounding, wondering how I could have been so foolish as to be tricked by a woman again. Granted, she was no Aku, but to allow her to weaken my defenses and come so close to seducing me, there was no excuse. 

"Jack?" she asked. 

I took a step back, nearly tripping over my zori as I fought to ignore the heavy, thick scent that filled the room. It had been pleasant and comforting moments before, but now it felt as if it was delving into my mind and soul, trying to taint me. This did not seem right at all, something in my mind was screaming that this was all wrong, that she was doing this. How could I have missed such raw instinct? 

I quickly picked up my katana and drew it from its sheath, pressing it to her throat. Not enough to draw blood, just enough to keep her from attacking or running away. It was time to end this little game of hers. 

"Enough! No more games." I said, holding the blade steady. 

She held my gaze without flinching, the liquid pools of emerald no longer seeming to have a pull to them. The scent of cherry blossoms seemed to decrease, but was still overpowering to me. 

"What sort of seductive sorcery were you trying to perform? What were you trying to do to me?" I asked. 

She remained calm and still before shaking her head at me. 

"I am only trying to make you happy and comfortable. Why do you deny yourself happiness and comfort and pleasure?" 

"I am sorry, Himoto-san, but my heart belongs to another. I do not have time for sleeping with women I have just met while Aku still lives and my people as well as the people of this land need me." 

She watched me for a few moments, apparently considering my words. Finally she nodded and reached up, gently pushing the blade of my katana away from her neck with a light touch. I did not lower my blade at that moment, waiting for another trick or attempt at seduction. 

"You may lower your blade, samurai. You are in no danger from me or anyone outside this room." she said. 

Slowly, I lowered my katana, but I did not sheath it, keeping a careful eye on her. She rose from the bed and walked around the edge of it until she was within a few feet of me. In a flash of red light, her robe melted away into a kimono of deep red trimmed with silver. Her entire aura seemed hot, fiery, as if it could consume me in an instant if she so wished it. 

Her eyes seemed to burn into my very soul as they locked with mine, apparently looking me over. I could only watch for a few moments before the intensity of her gaze was too much and I looked away. Where her appearance had been warm before, it was a raging inferno now, threatening to consume all that touched it. Even her hair appeared to be made of flame now, its brightness seeming to ignite the room. 

"I am Himoto, the Elemental of Fire." she finally said, standing there with her hands inside the sleeves of her kimono. 

I blinked, slowly taking this in. The next Elemental, the one I had been searching for, and she had been here all this time? I slowly sheathed my katana, wondering if all the tests were going to be surprise tests or if I would actually meet one of the Elementals before everything was all over with. 

"Then this...was all a test?" I asked. 

"Yes." 

"Let me guess...you did not tell me so you could see the real me?" 

She smiled innocently and I smirked, sitting back down on the bed and leaning my katana against the nightstand. Himoto sat down as well, her hands still hidden within the sleeves of her kimono. Strange how she could have appeared so unbelievably seductive just a few moments before and now looked serene, almost divine. 

"I must say, Jack, you had me worried for a few moments." 

"Worried? Whatever for?" 

"You came very close to falling to my spell. Granted, I had to use every ounce of my power to see how far you would be able to go, but you almost succumbed." 

"The cherry blossoms." 

"Yes. Seduction through intoxication. Something akin to being drunk, only through a heavy scent. A lesser man would have been trying to undress me long before you even thought of it." 

"What does that mean?" 

"It means that you are pure of heart and very difficult to corrupt by any means, no matter how well they may probe into your soul." 

I realized then that the intensity of her eyes had been from her looking into my heart, trying to find my weaknesses. She had done well, finding a desire for companionship that I had buried deep in the back of my mind until I had returned home. If not for the memory of cherry blossoms filling my hometown, I might very well have gone further than I did. 

"Then...I have passed your test?" 

"Yes. No man has forced me to use so much of my power before and even at that, you managed to resist me. You have proven the purity of your heart, Jack, a purity which not even Aku could taint." 

She cupped her hands together and a faint glow came from them. Slowly, a jewel almost identical to the one Chimitsu had given me appeared and she held it out to me. I reached out and accepted, once more feeling a warmth spread through my body as I took it. 

"You already have the Infinity Jewel from my sister, Chimitsu. This is the Phoenix Jewel, the second of five keys to the Star of the Elements. Three more tests await you, Jack, I wish you luck." she said. 

"Thank you. I shall guard it with my life." 

I slipped it into the bag with its sister, leaning back on the bed. Himoto stood and slipped her hands back into the sleeves of her kimono, smiling at me. She seemed almost sad as she watched me, sighing a little. 

"I must leave you now, Jack. Seek out my sister, Earth, at the center of the surface of this planet for the next part of your journey. She will be able to guide you from there." 

"I will. Thank you for your help." 

"Of course. Farewell, Jack, and pleasant dreams." 

In a swirling pillar of flame, she disappeared, leaving me alone in the room. I sighed again and looked at the clock, seeing that it was only three in the morning. Dawn was a few hours away and I was still tired. I stood and turned out the lights before curling up on the bed, listening to the sounds of the city outside the window. 

I closed my eyes after taking one last look to make sure that the black bag with the jewels in it was still on the lampstand. Satisfied that it was there and within reach of my katana, I closed my eyes again. Within moments, I was sound asleep once more, this time dreaming of my family and home. 


	5. San: Chikyuu - Jack Makes A Funny

Hihi all! Gomen ne for taking so long with this chapter! Been having a few very busy weeks IRL and caught a tiny bit of a snag as far as this chapter went and had to do a bit of research. So, heh, I finally had a day where I wasn't exhausted from this thing called reality(reality? Hmm, what the heck is that anyhow? XD), I typed it up. Hope you enjoy it and arigatou gozaimasu for all the reviews! I appreciate it! - TN 

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Cold wind ruffled my kimono, a drastic change from the hot desert where I had found Himoto, the Elemental of Fire. Not long after I had made my way out of that desert and into a grassy plain, I had found a village that had yet to hear of me. It was there that I had been told of a legend of a magical worm in a lake that could grant any wish desired. 

I traveled for many, many nights before I made my way through a forest and came to stop at the lake's shore. Wind rippled along its surface, giving off a mystical, almost eerie, appearance. If the legend was true and the worm was here, then I was home free. Now for the moment of truth. 

"Worm! I summon you!" I called out. 

For a few moments, nothing happened, and I began to wonder if the villagers had simply been playing with me. If that was the case, then I had no time for such games. I had to make my way to the center of the planet's surface and find the Earth Elemental. 

Just as I was about to turn away and be on my way, the water's surface stilled, save for a tiny bubbling right in front of me. Without the wind, there was no possible way that could happen. I knew that I was about to meet the worm the villagers spoke of. 

Finally, with a great splash, a red and black head and a very long neck of the same color emerged from the murky water. It was enormous and looked very dangerous. It leaned down so that its head was face to face with me, looking me over. 

"Jack!" it spoke with a female voice. 

"You...know of me?" 

"Of course I do! I'm magic!" 

The creature opened its mouth and breathed on me before rising back up high above the waters, looking down at me. I had to hold my nose or breathe in the scent of something akin to decaying fish. I knew that as soon as I was done here, the first thing I was going to do was take a very long bath. 

"You have come for a wish, haven't you?" she asked. 

"Yes. I wish for..." 

Before I could finish speaking, the water rippled and began to splash as a second head rose from the water next to the first. I held back a gasp and noticed that the two were joined at the spot where their necks joined the body. There were two worms, not just one. Did that mean they both granted wishes? 

"Not so fast, sister." it spoke, this time with a male voice. 

The female looked at him and I felt more than a bit confused. I had not been told that there were two worms, so to speak, let alone one head was female and the other was male. This could pose quite a problem to me, particularly if they began to argue with each other. 

"I never said I was going to give him his wish just yet." she said. 

"I would hope not. So few ever pass this way, sister, we shouldn't just grant the wish and let him go until the next one comes." 

I looked between the two, wondering if they had forgotten about me. The second head leaned down and coiled around me, face to face with me. Or perhaps I should say face-to-head considering one of their heads were bigger than I was. 

"I do apologize, Jack, it is quite lonely here. We have been expecting you." he said. 

"You have?" 

"Of course! Magic, remember?" 

"Uhm...yes, of course. Magic." 

"We were beginning to wonder if you were going to show up at all. Now, about that wish..." 

"Yes?" 

"Not so fast!" the female broke in. 

"Wha..." 

"We grant wishes, however, you must play a little game first." 

"A game? I do not have time for games!" 

"Too bad. We were hoping to have a little fun before sending you off to your own time." 

My eyes widened. How could they have known about that? Perhaps they and the villagers spoke the truth after all. Perhaps the worm really _was_ magic if they knew about my quest in such an isolated area where Aku's droids would not bother them. 

"Wait!" I cried, stopping them from retreating back into the lake. 

"Yeeeeesss?" the male asked. 

"What sort of game?" 

The twin worm heads looked at each other, grinned, and gave off an eerie sort of laugh before looking at me. 

"Knock knock!" the female said. 

I blinked. What sort of game was this? 

"You're supposed to say "who's there"." the male said. 

"Uhm, who is there?" 

"Banana!" the female said. 

I did not understand. What did knocking and bananas have to do with each other? The worm heads looked at each other and then back to me, a puzzled expression on their faces. They looked at each other, then to me, blinking confusedly. 

"Don't tell us you haven't heard a knock knock joke before." the male said. 

"What sort of joke?" 

"You're joking, right?" 

I shook my head and the worm blinked again before its heads joined together as one and it began to glow and shrink. I began to wonder if it was simply disappearing back into the lake and I had somehow lost yet another chance to return home. I knew what a joke was, but I had never heard of something called a "knock knock" joke before. What a strange sort of custom. 

However, the worm did not disappear. Instead, it began to take on the appearance of a woman wearing brilliant orange and brown robes in front of me on the sand. When she had fully materialized, I could see that she had brown eyes, brown hair, and very tan skin. I took a few steps back, wondering how a beautiful woman could appear to be a ferocious, two-headed worm. 

"Oh, now you're no fun, Jack." she said, a disappointed expression on her face. 

"I do apologize, but I came here to make a wish to return home, not play games." 

"Of course you did. I should be apologizing for wasting your time, but I do have work to do." 

"Work?" 

She nodded and I furrowed my brow, wondering what sort of work she could be doing all the way out here. 

"Who are you and what do you mean that you have work to do here?" 

"My name is Chame, and I am the one which you seek, the Elemental of Earth." 

I sat down on the grass with a soft sigh. What was it with these Elementals and surprising me so while I was searching for them? It had to be some sort of cosmic joke between the five of them. 

"Don't look so discouraged, samurai. You are doing very well in your quest to find the Elementals and attain the keys to the Star of the Elements." she said. 

"So far, yes. I have two, but there are still three and, thus, I must complete three more tests." 

"Ahh, yes, the tests. First you were tested for your compassion with my sister, Chimitsu, then for your purity of heart with Himoto." 

"And you?" 

"A simple test compared with those. All you must do, is make me laugh." 

"Make you laugh? Is that all?" 

"Yes. Actually, no, that isn't all." 

"All right, what else must I do?" 

"You must make me laugh, _but_...you must do it by telling a joke. No tickling, no funny faces or gestures, simply tell a joke." 

"Sounds easy enough." 

"Don't be so sure, Jack. Mind you, I've heard plenty of jokes in my eternity as an Elemental. It must be clever, witty, or else you will not be able to pass." 

She sat down next to me, watching, and I furrowed my brow. Of course I knew a few jokes from my home time, but I had no time to try and be a comedian. I had more important things at hand here. 

"With all due respect, Lady Chame, I am a samurai, not a comedian. I do not have time for telling jokes." I said. 

She looked at me, her brown eyes shimmering a bit mysteriously. She was up to something and I was almost afraid to find out what. Almost. 

"Well, that's all right, Jack, but you must know that without making me laugh, you will not attain the third key to the Star of the Elements and you will never get home." she said. 

"Then I will find another way." 

"I wish you luck, then. It will be hard to find another way when you're my prisoner." 

I blinked. Prisoner? How could that be? None of the other Elementals had mentioned that I would become their prisoner if I had failed their tests. Then again, I had not known that Chimitsu and Himoto were testing me in the first place. Not until it was over. Now I had to keep my wits about me. 

"It's your choice, samurai. You can tell a joke, or you can be my prisoner. It's up to you." she said. 

I leaned against my katana, thinking. I had no choice. I had to tell a joke and make her laugh or I would fail. Not just in returning home, but I would not be able to defeat Aku, here or in my own time. Failure was not an option for me. 

Chame pulled her knees up and leaned forward to rest her chin upon them, watching me. Her eyes shimmered playfully and I knew she had to know that I was struggling to think of something. Fighting I could do, but making an eternal Elemental laugh? It almost seemed impossible. 

"I have eternity, Samurai. Don't rush yourself on my account." she said. 

I looked at her, seeing that she was merely teasing me. I was hardly amused. She had all the time in the world and I was quickly running out of time to think of a joke. At this rate, Aku might as well continue to rule the world. 

Chame shifted a bit and I could tell she was becoming impatient. Eternal or not, she was becoming increasingly bored with me. Not that I could help it that I could not think of something to say to make her laugh. Like I told her, I was a samurai and a warrior, not a joker or jester. 

"There's millions of jokes, Jack, are you going to tell one or not?" she asked. 

"Please, I told you before, I am a samurai and a warrior." 

"You surprise me. I would think that a warrior like yourself would be knowledgeable in some good clean pun." 

I groaned softly. I had no time to play games when Aku was still in control of this world. And worse than that, she seemed to be a master of terrible puns. I was surely no match for someone who had eons of time to gather all sorts of bad humor. 

"I am sorry, but I have no time for this." I said. 

"All right. Perhaps puns are out of your league, samurai. How about a round of the poetry game then? Surely you would have had time to exchange rounds of haiku with your father." 

I sighed softly, then slowly grinned. She had just given me an idea for a joke that I doubted she had heard before. 

"Puns are bad, my dear Chame, but poetry is verse." I said with a grin. 

She paused and blinked at me, taking in what I had just said. A moment later, a smile slowly spread across her lips and she began to giggle. I chuckled as well, happy that I had been able to tell a joke that she had not heard yet. 

After a few moments of laughter, Chame wiped her eyes and chuckled, seeing my relieved look. She had looked almost angry a second before, even disappointed, and now she appeared happy. I felt relieved, wondering if she had ever been serious about taking me prisoner or if she knew that I would be motivated to say something. 

"Well, well, Jack. You surprise me. I wasn't sure if you were going to manage it. You know some of the oldest jokes in the book, but you pulled it off quite well." she said. 

"Thank you." 

"I suppose you'll be wanting the next Key, huh?" 

I nodded a bit and she smiled, holding out her hand that now held a jewel looking very similar to the two I already had. I took it and slipped it into the black bag hanging at my obi. Three down, now there were only two left and my quest would finally be over once and for all. 

"The Terran Jewel is yours now, Jack. Guard it as you have done with the other two and never let any of them out of your sight." she said. 

"Of course. Thank you, Chame." 

"Seek out my sister, Metal, in the west. She will be able to aid you with the next step of your quest." 

I bowed and took a step to head off again, but something caught in my mind and I turned back to Chame. 

"Chame?" I asked. 

"Yes?" 

"May I ask you something?" 

"Of course." 

"You would not have made me your prisoner had I not been able to make a joke, would you?" 

"No, but you wouldn't have received the Terran Jewel, either." 

She grinned and I shook my head. She had been joking, but it certainly had not been a funny joke. Then again, to an Elemental with all eternity at her fingertips, I suppose a mortal panicking had been funny. 

"And the worm from the lake...that was you?" 

"Mmhmm!" 

"Hmm. The villagers a few days back told me that you could grant wishes. They never said anything about jokes." 

She laughed, her eyes shimmering in the light of the setting sun. 

"Of course not, silly! They never tell any travelers about that. They don't need to." 

"Why not?" 

"They see laughter as an important key to a healthy life. Strangers must learn this on their own, thus, they simply continue to feed the legend that the lake worm grants a person's deepest desire. It is an easy matter for me to find out what that desire is." 

"Then, you have revealed yourself before?" 

"Oh, no, Jack, only the worm illusion. I don't reveal this form to anyone but those who are worthy of seeing my true self." 

"Then the villagers have never seen you?" 

"Nope. Never." 

"Then, why do they continuously seek out the worm? How do they know of you in that form?" 

"What can I say, Jack, I'm a practical joker at heart. I love having fun with the locals and I must say they're quite adept at telling good jokes." 

"I see. Well, it looks like this is where I must go. Thank you, and farewell." 

"Goodbye, Jack, and good luck." 

She smiled to me as I turned back around and headed in the direction of the sun, heading west. An odd sort, these Elementals. Perhaps I simply could not understand them when I was so young and obviously mortal. But, so long as they were not evil beings, then I would simply chalk their odd quirks up to immortals entertaining themselves with mortals that came their way. 

I only hoped that the Star of the Elements was not something they entertained themselves with. 


	6. Yon: Kinzoku - The Warrior

*GASP* Oh my god, I've updated! XD Apologies all around for the huge delay in updates. Been rather busy and unfortunately uninspired while I began to get moved out, but...fear not, here is the next chapter. Next part to this section's in the works, but unfortunately will proooob'ly be be a bit delayed as well. Staying at the apartment and only spending brief amounts of time on the computer I've been using until my own's working. Once that's done...shouldn't be a problem in updating. Hee! Ahh well...such is life. Enjoy! :) - TN 

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I tossed aside the broken metal arm as the robot guards pulled what was left of the Aqualizer out of the arena. I slowly turned to look up at the announcer, wondering just what he had in mind as punishment for "insulting" something that had no honor to begin with. We stared each other down for a few moments as the arena was cleared, the tension growing thick in the arena. 

"Well, samurai?" he asked. 

"My answer remains the same. I will not fight pointless battles for your entertainment. You can find it elsewhere, from someone else." 

"The battles won't seem so pointless when you're fighting for you life!" 

He made a gesture to the guard keeping the gate towards the opposite end of the arena and I turned my head, expecting another robot or mutant creature. I expected just about anything at that point since nothing seemed impossible after my arrival in this future controlled by Aku. I had seen virtually every imaginable creature, alien and familiar, and I doubted that anything else would surprise me now. 

With a mechanical whirring, the doors slid open, revealing a shadow-veiled creature just inside. This one was oddly small compared to the other, more bulky and impressive fighters, but I knew better than to underestimate an opponent. Aku had taught me that very well in the past when he sent me to this insane future. 

I watched as they began to emerge into the illumination of the arena, my tension turning to shock and surprise upon seeing a relatively human-looking being in what appeared to be samurai armor. I had seen only a few humans once or twice during my time here, and only one female, married to the Scotsman I had met awhile back. But, unlike her, this one was shorter than I and slimmer, standing barely five feet tall. 

She carried a pair of katana and wakizashi blades at her hip, her long, straight, dark hair pulled back into a knee-length braid. I did not even want to think about how she fought with such a heavy length of hair in the way. Her pale grey eyes bore into mine, studying me. There was a power behind them, but I could not place it, even though I tried. 

The armor she wore was very familiar. It appeared to be an exact replica of the armor worn by my father's own samurai warriors in my home time, but not quite. There were distinct differences beside the crest that came in the form of the kanji letter meaning metal, particularly the type of metal that was used for it. Interestingly enough, she wore a warrior's kimono and hakama beneath all the armor. 

If not for the fact that my life was still in danger, I would have been more than a little embarrassed to have a woman see me in only my fundoshi. 

"I would like you to meet Lady Quicksilver, our undefeated and only female champion." the announcer's voice came over the speakers. 

I had nearly forgotten about him and the audience in my shock of seeing a woman warrior here. The metal doors leading to any exits from the arena were closed and locked and the walls were too high for me to climb or jump over to escape through any of the audience exits. I looked back towards the woman, noticing that she had neither spoken, nor made a move to draw her weapon and strike as the others had. 

"I will not fight a woman." I spoke softly. 

"Then you will die." 

Her voice was calm and even, almost cold and emotionless. 

"You have no honor if you would strike down an unarmed opponent." 

There was a spark behind the smoky grey of her eyes, but only for a moment. 

"Honor is nothing in this world, Jack. Survival is." 

"Survival is nothing without honor." 

She remained silent until the announcer gave the order to attack. Almost unexpectedly, she struck with lightning speed, her blade flashing in silver arcs towards me. If not for the announcer's warning, I would have easily lost my head several times. 

I quickly dodged out of the way, refusing to fight her or go for my beloved katana, clamped to the wall below the announcer's booth. I had hoped that she would stop when I failed to draw a weapon, but she kept going, chasing me around the large arena. She was quick and very accurate with her blade, which made silver, flashing arcs that came very, very dangerously close to taking my head and other parts of my anatomy. 

A few even managed to nick my arms and back and chest, adding to the already stinging wounds dealt to me earlier. I could see now why they had called her Lady Quicksilver. A close strike aimed for my head whizzed past my ears, taking the ribbon that held my topknot up with it. I let it fall, dodging out of the way of her next strikes, knowing that running away was not going to get me anywhere and definitely _not_ out of this arena. 

I kept leaping out of the way, even making use of the high walls littered with hanging weapons, most likely stolen, doing anything I could to get away long enough to think. But there was nothing I could do. She was fast and I was tiring quickly. Sooner or later, I would falter and she would kill me in an instant. I did not want to think of how long she could possibly go on fighting like this. 

I would need to get to my katana, but first, I had to stall her long enough to get there. There were plenty of weapons hanging on the walls and the announcer had said that no weapon was illegal, which meant I could do whatever I needed to to get away. I reached up and grabbed the closest thing I could, nearly losing my arm in the process as her blade slashed down. 

I hissed as the edge of the blade tore across the back of my shoulder, wheeling around in the same instant to hurl the weighted chain at her. She had clearly not expected me to start fighting back and instinctively threw up her hands to block, allowing the chain to entangle itself around them. I ignored her unladylike curses and hurried across the arena, leaping up and pulling down my faithful katana, feeling better now that it was back in my hands. 

At about the time I turned around, she swore profusely and threw the chain aside, reading her own blade. 

"I underestimated you, samurai." she said softly. 

"I did what I had to. I do not want to fight a woman, but if you will not peacefully walk away, then I have no choice but to defend myself." 

"Call it what you will, but you're still fighting for their entertainment and my own. I haven't had a workout this good in ages." 

I stood ready, circling her, muscles tense and waiting to strike. Her grey eyes were cold, emotionless, watching me like a hawk would watch a mouse. I waited, not wanting to make the first strike. 

Then, without warning, she struck. 

Instinctively, I brought my own blade up to block, sparks flying as the two swords met with incredible force. I pushed forwards, hoping to push her back, yet she somehow managed to hold her ground against me. I had never seen a woman hold her own against a trained samurai like this before, not by blade-to-blade combat. Granted, women of this future were stronger than those of the past, but there was something about her strength that seemed somewhat...alien. 

I sidestepped and pulled my blade out of the way, causing her to stumble. I did not strike while she was turned, waiting until she had regained her balance before slashing again. She gave a short cry and gave a short hop backwards, a thin trickle of blood forming on her cheek. She wiped at it before striking in a furious rush of slashes and strikes. 

I was hard-pressed to block, noticing the sparks that flew as we moved across the arena. She paused her assault as I pushed back against her, giving a brief moment of distance between us before I struck back. The calculating grey eyes did not seem to be surprised as I matched her speed, sending more sparks flying furiously across the arena. 

We moved like this for some time, each trying to get the better of each other, trying to out maneuver, out match the other. Sweat rolled down my skin, stinging in the healing cuts and I could see that she was beginning to wear down as well. Her eyes remained emotionless, but I could tell from the furrowing of her brow that she was growing increasingly frustrated with my refusal to give up. 

"You can stop this you know." I said between heavy breaths. 

"What if...I don't...want to?" 

"Then you leave me...no choice...but to fight you...to the death..." 

"So...be it!" 

She picked up speed and force again, renewed by the prospect of a duel to the finish. I blocked as quickly as I could, my blade slowly becoming heavier and heavier with exhaustion in my hands. If I wanted to live, much less escape, I would have to disarm her at the least, and at the unthinkable worst, kill her. 

I pushed hard against the next blocked strike, locking my eyes with hers. She was apparently trying to get me to falter, to draw my attention away from where it was supposed to be, but I had other things in mind. I quickly shifted my weight and brought my foot up in a flash, striking her sword hand, knocking her blade into the dirt. Before she could attack or escape to get another weapon, I brought the edge of my katana up to her neck, but made no move to kill her. 

"Do you yield?" I asked. 

"Finish it, samurai." 

Her eyes flickered, showing the barest amounts of respect for me and a desire to be struck down in battle. But I would not allow it. Aku's droids were one thing, but I refused to harm a living being, much less a rare human. I took a step back and sheathed the katana, much to the chagrin of the watching audience. 

"Iie. I will not." 

Those smoky eyes widened in disbelief and she fell to her knees. 

"Why?" 

"You have been disarmed and I will not strike down an unarmed woman, even if she is a fellow samurai." 

She seemed to consider this for a moment before she lunged forward, snatching my blade from its sheath before I could stop her. She spun the weapon expertly around in her hand before aiming it for her stomach in what was clearly a seppuku attempt. Before she could, I snapped foward and grabbed her wrists, holding them tightly and successfully stopping her a sheer split second before the blade would have been driven into her midsection. 

_"YAMERO!"*_

She dropped the blade and I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and waist, pulling her back. She struggled briefly, but only long enough to realize that I was not going to allow her to try such a stunt again. Slowly, she relaxed, eyes closing. I did not release her, however, waiting for her to speak and ask me to do so. 

"I concede." she finally said softly. 

I slowly released her and moved to pick up my katana, not taking my eyes from her. She watched me, her eyes showing the barest hints of emotion as I sheathed the blade. The audience and announcer had appeared to go silent, either in shock at the defeat of their undefeated female champion or simply so they could hear what we were saying. 

With a small wave of her left hand, the Dome wavered and then disappeared into mist, much to my surprise. It had not been real, yet the chains and wounds I had been dealt were. What sort of sorcery was this? 

"Relax, samurai, it was all just an illusion." she said. 

"An illusion?" 

This was beginning to sound rather familiar. Too familiar. 

"Are you the Elemental of Metal by any chance?" I asked. 

Her emotionless expression melted away into a bright smile, her grey eyes shimmering. 

"That would be me. My name is Hirame and I was wondering when you were going to show yourself, Jack." 

"What?" 

"You have already met three of my sisters, thus it was only a matter of time before you would come in search of the Argentyne Jewel." 

"I take it that is the next Key to the Star of the Elements?" 

"That it is, Jack." 

"Then how must I attain it?" 

"In order to attain the Argentyne Jewel, you must defeat me in fair combat." 

"But is that not what I just did?" 

"No. That was how I intended to catch your attention and bring you to me. Unlike my sisters, I'm not fond of surprise tests. I prefer to see all of your skill in willing combat instead of forcing you to fight for your life." 

"I fought you then because I had to. I still do not like to fight women." 

"Even if that woman has clearly shown that she can hold her own against you?" 

"I mean no disrespect, but..." 

"But you don't want to hurt me, is that it?" 

"No. I have been taught to respect women, not fight or harm them." 

She gave an amused chuckle, her eyes sparkling. 

"You're a rare man, Jack. Most warriors wouldn't hesitate to fight a woman, especially if she could fight back. I admire your respect for women, but one thing you must remember- sometimes it doesn't matter if your opponent is male or female. Some women won't respect a male opponent as you would a female and may do anything they can to bring you down. If you want to survive, then you'll have to learn to fight against such fighters." 

I realized then what she meant. In the arena, she had appeared to not care about honor, only winning and her survival. Even though it was an illusion, I knew that it could easily happen again. Ikra proved to me months ago that not all women were what they seemed. Even the Elementals in their clever disguises had shown me that, although none of them had ever attacked. It was too unimaginable for me to think that a woman would have the guts to fight a man, even if this was Aku's future. 

"I shall keep that in mind." 

She smiled and led me back towards the forest where the bounty hunters had caught up with me. We walked in silence into the heart, where she finally stopped and gave a quick clap of her hands, conjuring a fire. If I had not met any of her sisters before, I would have been more than a little startled at the sudden conjuration. 

"What are we doing?" I asked. 

"We rest for tonight. We both fought hard and are exhausted. There isn't much challenge in fighting until after we've eaten and slept." 

"All right." 

I sat down near the fire, leaning against a tree root, watching her armor melt away into a flowing, light gray robe. With another sharp clap, two bowls of hot soup appeared, one nearly dropping into my lap. I blinked as I caught the bowl, catching the familiar scent of miso. 

"Miso?" I asked. 

"Of course. A little something familiar for you." 

"Arigatou." 

She sat back and ate her soup, watching me as I began to devour mine. Being trapped by those bounty hunters had left me without food that day and I was not sure if I had eaten before being captured or not. Judging from the growling of my stomach, I had not. 

"So why did you conjure up Aku droids and the Dome of Doom?" I asked, setting aside my empty bowl. 

"To get your attention. I knew that you had been in search of me, but I had to give you a nudge in the right direction." 

"Then why did you not drop the illusion once you had me?" 

"The moment had to be right. You wouldn't have been willing to fight or to even stay and hear what I had to say if all the slaves and the arena had been an illusion, now would you?" 

"Perhaps." 

"Or perhaps not, but I had to see for myself whether or not you would." 

"I did to defend myself." 

"And you will to return yourself home. Fight me tomorrow morning and defeat me in fair combat and you shall have the Argentyne Jewel." 

I sighed and sat back. If this was truly my only way home, then I would have no choice but to fight her. I had already come this far over several months and gathered three of the five gems. There would be no point in me simply giving up when I had spent all this time in search of the Elementals. If this future was to be freed from Aku's control, then I would have to fight. 

"Very well. I will fight so I can return to the past and prevent this future from ever happening. If this is the only path for me to take to get back home, then so be it." 

She nodded and with a sweeping gesture of her hands, the fire was immediately extinguished. 

"Get some rest, Jack. You need your rest before we fight tomorrow." she said. 

I nodded and leaned back against the tree into as comfortable a position as I could get into, closing my eyes. The sounds of night began to sound and I let it soothe me as the darkness slowly enveloped me. It didn't take long for the warm midnight breezes to lull me into a deep, sound sleep. 

* * *

FYI: Heh...in case any of my readers DON'T speak Japanese..."iie" means "no", "arigatou" means "thank you" and the shouted "yamero" means "STOP!" Hee! 


	7. Yon: Kinzoku - The Battle

Hihi! Apologies all around for the delays. Been uninspired and busy and FF.net has been down for some time, which has allowed me to finally catch up once I found a bit of inspiration. Enjoy these next three chapters and hopefully I'll have the ending up soon! Jaa! - TN 

* * *

The following morning, Hirame and I met out on an open meadow on the other side of the woods away from where the Dome of Doom had once been. Her flowing robe had once again been returned to the heavy armor from the night before, her twin swords at her hip. A light breeze ruffled our hair and the long grasses beneath our feet as we stood facing each other. 

"For the sake of a real fight, I'm abolishing any arena rules and boundaries. The only rule is that there is to be no killing, seeing as how you couldn't kill me anyhow and I don't see any point in killing you." she said. 

"Fair enough. And the victor is decided how?" 

"By knock out, giving up, if one is too wounded or exhausted to go on, or if either of us has the other on an inescapable killing strike without actually killing the other. If we actually make it to nightfall, I will allow time for sleep, although it is your choice. Being an elemental, I don't exactly need sleep or food. But I will allow you to sleep and eat if you wish it." 

"And if either of us loses our weapon?" 

"If either of us is disarmed, then we will switch to hand-to-hand until we both can retrieve our weapons. Despite my words in the arena, I don't find any honor in killing an unarmed opponent, either." 

"Very well." 

We each gave the other a bow before drawing our weapons, standing ready. I waited patiently, studying her, waiting for any sign that she might be about to strike. Her smoky eyes had gone emotionless again, focused entirely on me and any openings for her to strike at. 

She struck quickly, slashing towards my chest, her blade dragging across my own and sending sparks flying. She pushed down hard and I pushed back, still not wanting to hurt her or even fight her. I blocked another strike, feeling the force of it course along my arm and into my shoulder painfully. 

I struck back, pulling it only slightly, unable to bring myself to harm a woman, warrior or not. Our blades met repeatedly in quick succession, sparks dancing through the air with each strike. I pushed back against her, trying to force the blade out of her hands, yet she matched my strength, shoving me back and onto the hard ground. 

Her blade drove into the ground next to my shoulder, yet she had not made a move to disarm me or strike me down. She stood over me, expression hard and scolding as she towered over me. Her eyes burned into mine angrily, showing me just what sort of power she could use if she so wished it. 

"C'mon, Jack, I know you can do better than this. You're a samurai prince! Where is that pride you show Aku whenever he knocks you down?" 

I growled softly and my sandaled foot found its mark in her stomach. She fell back, katana and all, before hopping to her feet to face me once more. She laughed softly, eyes shining darkly at me as she circled me. 

I watched her carefully, waiting for her next move, knowing that she was dangerous and could take me down if I faltered. She struck again, this time for my shoulder and I blocked easily. Over and over again our blades met, Hisame matching my strength and speed with equal blows. 

Her eyes locked with mine as we pushed against each other, trying to force the other to back down. Her face was emotionless, but I could tell by the look in her smoky eyes that she was enjoying the fight. I felt a few beads of sweat roll down the back of my neck into the collar of my kimono, yet she did not appear to be even close to breaking a sweat. 

The sun had risen over the horizon and high into the sky above, burning down on us as we continued the battle. Yet she did not appear to tire while I was beginning to feel the effect of fighting as long as we had. Neither of us had struck a blow on the other so far, and I knew that it would only be a matter of time when it was clear that she was toying with me. 

A quick, downward strike tore across my upper arm at the same time I struck for her side, catching her across her thigh. We broke apart and I could feel the blood soaking the sleeve of my kimono as she stumbled back. I could see that it hurt her to put weight on the leg I had struck, but there was also a nod of approval. 

"Well done. But we are both standing." 

I nodded and we leapt at each other again, trying to bring the other down once more. The breeze tore through our clothes and the grasses as we moved across the meadow, having plenty of room to fight. Over a hill and along a fence marking a field we went, Hisame pinning me in the corner when we ran into another fence marking another field. 

She pressed down onto my katana, the edge of her blade coming dangerously close to my face, shining with sunlight. Beads of sweat trickled down my face and along my neck as I pushed back, feeling the wood dig into my back. Just a little bit further and she would have her blade at my throat under my chin. I could not allow her to defeat me, not so soon. 

And definitely not when generations upon generations of races of all kind depended on me to return home and destroy Aku. 

With a surge of strength, I pushed back against her, shoving her away long enough to get out of the way. Her katana slammed into the wood, slicing through two rails and clear into the dirt before she managed to pull it free and chase me down the other fence in the opposite direction that we had just come from. 

She was panting now, worn from the effort of pinning me down like that. I could tell that she was surprised that I had managed to get away, but knew that she would not make the same mistake twice. I could not let her pin me down again or it would be over for certain. 

She lunged at me again, sparks flying as she pushed me back along the length of the fence. A strike aimed for my arm severed another two rails before she swung around in a strike that would have cut me in half had I not leapt over it onto a post nearby. She swung at my legs, only to find that I was already in the air and going over her head. 

I landed in the grass and rolled a few feet before springing to my feet, taking advantage of the fact that her blade had become embedded in the post I had been standing on, lunging towards her. I knew that if the blade remained stuck, I would be able to catch her while she was still trying to withdraw it from the hard wood. As I brought my blade down, however, she tugged it free and swung around with such force that I had to take a step back. 

She laughed, eyes shining as she pushed me back another step down a small slope. If she managed to push me back a few more steps, she would have enough leverage over me to knock me off my feet. I could not allow that. 

I swung up with my right foot, catching her directly under the chin. She spun around and fell to the ground with a cry, her blade falling within reach of her hands. I was not certain if I had entirely meant to hit her that hard or not, surprised that I had actually hurt her. 

She shook her head and picked up her blade, getting to her feet once more. I stood ready, wondering if she was going to continue the fight or not. She shook her head again and then laughed, raising her blade again. 

"Now that's more like it, Jack." she said. 

"No, it is not. I did not mean to hit you that hard." 

"Like hell you didn't. You knew what I was going to do and you did what you had to in order to stay in the fight." 

I furrowed my brow as she attacked again, sliding down the small slope to slam her blade down onto mine again. I countered, sending sparks dancing along the edges again, the sunlight glinting off both of our blades from above. The day had grown hot and my kimono was soaked with sweat, feeling heavy as it clung to my damp skin. 

She attacked again and again, not letting up for a moment, even though we were both starting to tire. Elemental or not, she could tire after enough time in combat, just as anyone else would, yet I knew that she would not stop the battle unless I had specifically asked to rest or eat and I was not about to do that. 

We moved quickly across the meadow, striking each other only a very few times, being of almost equal strength and speed. A downward arc caught me across the chest a second before my return attack drew a thin slash across her right cheek. She hissed, but more out of pain than from any amount of vanity. I feared that if we kept this up, we would end up slicing each other to ribbons before either of us would ever yield. 

Yet through all of this, I still did not use every ounce of skill that I knew I had. She was still a woman and I could not bring myself to fight her with everything I had. Yes, she had indeed asked me to, but I still could not bring myself to do so, not completely. 

I pushed back against yet another strike, feeling the wound across my chest pulling with the effort. Sweat stung my wounds as it rolled down my skin and into my eyes from the hot sun beating down on us. Slowly, it began to creep down towards the western horizon, and Hirame and I continued to fight across the open meadow. 

My muscles ached and my stomach growled in protest, but I would fight until I dropped if I had to. Hirame did not need food and I could not afford to stop to sustain myself and give her a chance to recover some of her strength, even if it meant losing an opportunity to do so myself. Perhaps it was foolish of me, but if this had not been a controlled battle, I doubted either one of us would have stopped. 

A quick kick to the chest sent me rolling onto my back again and I coughed, lying there in the grass for a moment to catch my breath, even though she could have taken the opportunity to end the fight. My chest wound began to bleed anew and I knew that she had torn it deeper than it had been cut originally, the hot blood soaking the front of my kimono. She stood over me, blocking the sun, her blade in hand. She drove it down next to my head near my ear this time, sinking it into the dirt as she knelt down over my stomach, her face only a hair's breadth from my own. 

Her hard expression curled into a cruel snarl, her eyes blazing with anger from beyond sweat-soaked bangs. 

"Quit holdin' back on me, Jack. I know just as well as you do that you can fight better than you have been." she said softly, dangerously. 

"I am not...holding back." 

"Don't lie to me. I know you're holding back because I'm a woman. You still don't want to fight me, even though you know I can match you." 

"I told you before...it is dishonorable...for me to harm a woman." 

"Even if that woman's bent on taking your head?" 

"I will defend myself, but I will not harm you if I can help it." 

"Then I might as well end this fight right now and send you along without the Argentyne Jewel. There's no point in continuing this fight when you're not willing to give it all that you can." 

I struggled for a moment, trying to pull myself up, but she continued to hold me in place, her eyes burning into mine. 

"Don't tell me you've lost your nerve. Is that it? You've lost all hope, all will to fight when you're so very close to succeeding?" she whispered in my ear. 

"I never said I was giving up. I simply said that I would not harm a woman." 

"Same difference, samurai. A pity. I expected more from the legendary warrior from the past that Aku fears so much. If you can't beat me, then surely Aku has nothing more to worry about from you. Is that it? Is that what you truly want, Jack?" 

I took in a slow breath, feeling the pain and burning whirlpool of emotions welling up in my chest. No, that was not what I wanted. I would never be able to live with myself if I simply gave up and refused to fight any longer. I had to go back to the past and defeat Aku, no matter what the cost. If it meant fighting a woman, then I had no choice. 

I swung up with the hilt of my katana as she began to rise, striking her in the jaw. She fell back and rolled to the side, giving me time to get to my feet again, resuming my ready stance. She shook her head and rubbed her jaw before getting up as well, chuckling softly. 

"Now that's more like the Samurai Jack I know. The guy who doesn't take crap from anybody, especially Aku." 

I raised a brow before leaping in to attack, not giving her a chance to get the better of me this time. She blocked expertly, no longer playing around with me as she had been before. I kept up with the attack, feeling renewed stregnth and will, even though she had brought it out by hitting a rather sore spot with me. 

She kept blocking my attacks, even though I could see she was having a bit of trouble now. Neither of us were holding back now, even though we were both wearing down from fighting the entire day. The sun slowly dipped below the horizon, the moon illuminating the midnight sky. And still we fought on, moving all about the meadow. 

The breeze had long died down and even though the night brought cooler temperatures, the atmosphere had grown quite humid, adding to the discomfort of sweat-soaked clothing. My muscles ached with the effort of each strike, my katana a dead weight in my hands. We would not be able to keep this fight up much longer without resting. 

"Are you...certain...you don't...want to rest?" she asked. 

"Iie. I do not wish...to end the fight...until one of us...yields." 

She nodded and continued to block my counterattacks as I continued to press on, despite our growing exhaustion. Sooner or later, one of us would have to yield or simply collapse. Even Hirame, as immortal as she was, would collapse without having a chance to use her magic to recover. I doubted that she would even take one if I gave it to her. 

A heavy side-strike finally tore my katana from my hands, sending it flying into the dirt at the top of a hill. I hissed in pain from the force of such a blow, falling heavily to my knees, waiting for Hirame to make the final strike and end the fight. But she did not, sheathing her blade instead. 

"What are you...doing?" I asked. 

"Hand to hand...you are not...yet defeated and....I will not....strike....while you are...weaponless." 

I nodded and rose, blocking and parrying as best I could, even though I could barely stay on my feet. I managed to drive her back a few steps before her elbow slammed hard into my jaw, snapping my head back. I shook it before blocking, finding myself being driven back by a fierce attack. We were both on our last ounces of strength, fighting only with sheer desperation to bring the other down. 

She continued to drive me back, bruising my arms and legs with the force of her blows. Had she still had her former strength, she could have snapped my forearms within a few moments. But we had gone long into the night and she barely had the strength left to crack my ribs. 

I barely noticed the pain as she pushed me back up a hill, the same one where my katana lay at the top. It would not be long now before one of us could no longer take the strain and our bodies would give out from the intense exertion. I wanted it to be me, but I was not certain if I would have the strength left to bring her down. 

A hard kick to my already battered midsection knocked me onto my back and I gasped as pain shot through my ribs. My head spun and I felt slightly sick to my stomach as I rolled onto my side, trying to pull myself back onto my feet again. Hirame stood over me, panting, taking a moment to get the strength to deliver the final blow. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my katana just an arm's reach away from me. If I could just get to it, I might have a chance of walking away from this battle. I had no choice. If I ever wanted to return home, I would have to find a way to end this fight and end it now. 

Ignoring the pain pulsing through my ribcage and along my chest, I forced myself up onto my knees and reached for the hilt of my katana. I could hear her slowly drawing her own blade behind me as my hand finally closed around the handle and I pulled it from the dirt. I could hear her take a step towards me and instinctively swung around in an angled side-strike, my blade making an arc towards her. 

She brought her own blade up to block, only for her blade to shatter under the force of my strike. For a moment, both of us stared in shock as the shards of metal fell to the grass, glittering in the moonlight. My hand slammed into the dirt and I pushed myself up, realizing that this fight had yet to be decided. 

Before she could recover from the shock, I brought my blade up to her throat with a shaking hand, trying not to slice her. 

"It is decided." I said softly before lowering my blade and falling to my knees in exhaustion. 

A light breeze came up and I managed to raise my head to see Hirame, completely healed and refreshed, standing in her silvery robe again. She knelt down beside me, her arms wrapping around me. I winced slightly, feeling my ribs and other injuries begin to ache more now that the adrenaline had begun to wear off. 

"Come. I can bring you to a bath while my sister heals you." she said. 

"Sister?" 

"Surely you have met Chimitsu, have you not?" 

I paused and then nodded, remembering the first Elemental in the high mountains so many months ago. Hirame chuckled and we disappeared within a cool silver mist, reappearing miles away within the heart of a tropical forest near a crystal clear pond. She helped me to the edge before holding out a silvery gem to me. 

"I must leave you now, but we must not forget what you have earned." she said. 

"Thank you." 

"You too, Jack. If all goes well, we may see each other again very soon." 

I nodded and slipped the jewel into the bag with the others. 

"My sister, Ice, is north of here. You can't miss her." she said. 

"All right." 

"Take care of yourself, samurai. Chimitsu will be along shortly." 

I nodded again and she disappeared, leaving me to my bath and to await my healer. Only one last Key left before the Star of the Elements would be completed and I would be able to summon the Great Elemental to send me back home. I was so close now, so very close to finally ending my quest and this hellish future known simply as Aku Earth. 

_Your time is almost up, Demon, I thought. Enjoy it while it lasts, because soon, I will be returning home and restoring history to the way it should have been._


	8. Go: Koori - Mount Fatoum

I stood amongst the fallen destroyers, the cold rain pounding down around myself and the last of the insectoid drones. It was all that stood between me and the portal that would finally take me back home to the past. I sprang forward as it moved towards the swirling blue portal, hoping to get to it before the droid did. 

Unfortunately, I did not move fast enough. 

As I drew close, the creature raised a sharp-edged talon and sliced through the portal, smashing it to pieces. I reached for my katana, intending on slicing the last destroyer in half, only to be thrown back by the shockwave of the resulting explosion. I slammed hard into the ground, skidding on my back a few feet in the mud amongst the scattered metal remains of the other destroyers. 

I stared up at the rain for a few moments as it began to fade, thunder rumbling somewhere overhead. Once more, my hope of returning home to the past had been shattered like the robot parts that littered the ground around me. It was more than I could bear. 

I drew my katana and raised it over my head, letting loose with a cry of frustration as I drove it into the ground, falling to my knees. I leaned on it for a moment, hands shaking, trying not to cry. So many times had I come so very close to completing my quest, to have the end within reach, only to have it foiled by some means or another. 

I was beginning to think that I would never return home. 

I leaned my head against my katana's hilt, not certain where to go or what to do next. I had followed every lead, every legend, every rumor of any portals or mystical jewels that could take me back to my home time. With a heavy sigh, I stood and sheathed my katana, straightening my kimono and hat. 

Before I could think of what to do next or even take a step forward to head off to the next city, I sensed a presense behind myself. My hand instinctively went to the handle of my katana as I froze in mid-step, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Slowly, I turned around, ready for another wave of destroyer bug-drones. 

Instead, I was greeted with a heavily cloaked figure. 

"Who are you?" I asked. 

"Who I am shouldn't concern you, samurai. Just consider me another stranger in passing in this strange world." 

"All right. Well, then, stranger...what do you wish from me?" 

"Nothing, actually." 

"Nothing?" 

"Only to deliver a message." 

"A message?" 

"Yes, a message." 

"What sort of message?" 

"That destroyed portal wasn't your destiny, Jack. You weren't meant to return to your home time that way." 

I furrowed my brow, wondering how they could know all this or why they would tell me such a thing. 

"Then what is my destiny? How am I to ever get home if every try is thwarted when I am only mere seconds within reach of attaining my goal? I have been trying for many months, following every lead and rumor and legend, only to fail over and over again." 

I reached to the black bag that hung at my hip next to my katana, untying it and holding it up. 

"I am almost afraid that this, too, will be nothing but another failure, despite my months of searching and gathering what I needed to complete my quest." I said. 

"Those jewels that you hold will only fail you if you let them. Believe in yourself and those who gave you such precious gems and you will finally succeed in completing your quest." 

I sighed heavily, knowing that there was only one way I would ever find out if the Star of the Elements would become another failure. I would have to pull myself together and find the last Elemental, the Elemental of Ice. But first, I owed this mysterious lady an apology. 

"I am sorry. I did not mean to take my frustrations and anger at Aku out on you. You were only trying to help." I said softly. 

She walked over and placed a pale, slim hand on my lips, effectively hushing me as I tried to see her face under the heavy hood. But I saw nothing but darkness, her face shrouded in as much mystery as everything else about her. Yet, there was something oddly comforting about her presense. 

"Shhh. No insult has been taken. You have every right to be more than a little frustrated with all the failures you have been dealt. Anyone would be if they were in your shoes." 

She gently took the black cloth bag that held the four Elemental Keys that I had gathered so far and tied it back on my obi next to my katana. I was beginning to suspect that she was the next Elemental that I had been seeking for some months, but if she was not, I could not risk word reaching Aku that I was seeking something so powerful. If I allowed myself to make such a mistake, then I could very well be foiled once again before I could attain my goal. 

"You try so very hard, Jack, harder than anyone who has faced what you have faced. Never give up and you will surely be rewarded for your perseverance." she said. 

"Hai. Thank you. I have no choice but to continue on. After all, how will I know if the jewels that I carry are another failure if I do not find the last one?" 

I could not see her expression beneath the shadows of her cloak, but I got the impression that she had to be smiling. 

"Good. I would hate to see someone so willing to push himself forward give up and when he's so close, too." 

"Close? How close?" 

"Close. Continue to the north and you will find the truth you seek not far from here." 

I nodded and looked to where she was pointing. Ahead of me, through the thick mists, I could see a mountain towering high up into the sky above. It was so high that it almost seemed to reach the heavens. Strange how I had managed to miss such a giant formation when I first arrived in this small plain. 

"Thank y...." 

I paused as I turned back and found that she had vanished. I furrowed my brow, the suspicion that she was the last Elemental rising in my mind. I did not know anyone else besides Aku who could disappear so quickly and without any trace. With a burning determination growing in my chest at the thought of finally being able to return home, I turned towards the mountain, preparing myself for what lay ahead. 

The light, cool breeze that had been barely noticeable moments before rose into a wind that ruffled my kimono sleeves. It also lifted the straw hat right off my head, tossing it about in front of me. I sighed and began to take chase, not wanting to let it get too far away from me. 

Oddly enough, it never touched the ground as it began to flip around, seemingly heading for the mountain. I sprinted after it, trying to catch it without success, feeling as if the wind was toying with me. It hovered just a few inches in front of my face, daring me to grab it. The oddness of it kept the thought of snatching it back out of my head long enough for it to swing back and hit me directly in the face. 

I was so startled by the sudden change in direction and force that I lost my balance and fell to the ground. The wind swirled about me as my hat floated a few feet away. It really did seem as if the wind was playfully laughing at my embarrassment, as impossible as it seemed. 

I quickly got to my feet and took chase again, wondering how this day had managed to take such a strange turn. The wind swirled around me, fluttering my kimono, oddly laced with the scent that often accompanied the morning dews. The same scent that had always accompanied Chimitsu when I had stayed at her mountainside castle. 

If Chimitsu was responsible for this oddly playful wind, it would not surprise me in the least. She had a wry sense of humor and loved to tease me, which would explain the way my hat seemed to simply dangle inches from my face before darting out of reach again. It fluttered and flipped through the air over towards the mountain, almost out of reach when suddenly, it stopped. 

Pausing for only a moment to catch my breath, I realized that the wind had died down and my hat had been caught. Standing at the the foot of the mountain before me were three odd figures, one of which was holding my hat out towards me. I jogged over, stopping before the figures, looking at my hat, wondering how they could have managed to catch it so easily. 

"That is....my hat." I said softly, reaching up to take it. 

"Yes." the creature replied as I took it and slipped it back on. 

The odd trio turned and began to head towards the mountain and I hurried to catch up to them, wanting to thank them. 

"Excuse me...but where are you going?" I asked. 

"Mt. Fatoum." one of them said. 

"And what do you expect to find there?" 

"Truth." 

"Truth?" 

They did not reply and continued on towards the mountain. I caught up with them once more, curious now. 

"Has anyone ever found Fatoum's truth before?" 

"No. Nobody has ever made it to the top." 

I held back a grin, knowing that this was exactly the sort of challenge I enjoyed. 

"Not yet." I said. 

They did not answer and began to make their way up the mountainside. I blinked and followed yet again, pausing only to look up at the peak disappearing high into the clouds. I had climbed other mountains before, but none that seemed so impressive. But there was a first time for everything. 

With renewed determination, I began to make my way up the mountain alongside the trio of monks. 

* * *

I pushed myself out of the drift of snow that had formed spontaneously when the ice chunk had fallen on that giant monster, coughing. My body ached all over and I began to feel more than slightly ill. Yet there was more mountain to climb and I had no clue just how much further I had to go before I reached the top. 

I pulled myself to my feet and wrapped my arms around myself, finding that I had been foolishly unprepared for such a journey. I had lost my hat long ago and my thin and torn kimono was not enough to keep me warm against the blizzard's winds. I looked up at the cliff in front of me and reached up, hardly able to feel my hands and fingers enough to grip the ledge. 

Everything ached and the winds tore at my hair and torn kimono. I struggled to pull myself up, but my body refused to cooperate. Finally, I lost my grip on the small ledge and toppled back down to land in the snow below, staring up at the vast, snowy sky above, cloaking the mountain's peak. 

"It...is....impossible." 

I closed my eyes, my entire body aching, not wanting to go on. A part of me wondered if the top of the mountain really _did_ reach into the heavens. I was ready to reserve myself to becoming a block of human ice, even though I had climbed this far, far beyond the trio of monks, making my way past goat men, rock monsters, and a yeti. 

Somewhere deep inside of me...finally snapped. 

My mind drifted back to my home in Edo, to how it looked when I was a child, shortly before Aku had arrived and destroyed everything we had. My father and mother both looked so young and happy, the village prosperous and the streets were littered with pink sakura blossoms. And then, just like my innocence, Aku came and robbed us of everything we held dear. 

I did not want these visions to come, but like a nightmare, I could not stop them from coming. Visions of my father being taken, my mother taking me and vanishing into the mists of the harbor. The months that stretched into years of training until I returned, twenty years later and a grown man. 

I remembered how I had felt when I had first seen my mother after so long, aged with worry for myself and my father and what had become of us both after that terrible day. If not for the same kindness in her eyes that I had remembered her to hold, I may not have recognized her at all. Nevertheless, I was more than overjoyed to see her alive and well. 

And then there was the matter of my father. 

I found him days later deep within the ruins of Edo, my childhood home. Aku had turned it into slave mines beneath those ruins, where I would eventually find him. I had almost missed him, had it not been for the worn young child running away, hurriedly apologizing to her "emperor," which could only mean my father. 

My mind skipped even further ahead to where I found Aku's lair within the ruins of what had once been a mountain. Even though I wished that I could close my eyes, I realized that I could not as my memories relived the battle. Oh how I wished I had not been so overconfident and foolish. Had I struck Aku down when I had the chance, perhaps I could have prevented this future from ever happening. 

My eyes snapped open at the point in which I was thrown through the portal into the future. It was all so clear to me now. I could not give up, not when I had come so far and was so close to collecting the last of the Elemental Keys. My father would not have given up, and nor would many of the kind people that I had met while here amongst the corrupted citizens. The Scotsman, for example. He would have been quite disappointed to see me give up after going through so much. 

I pulled myself to my feet and began to pull myself up the mountainside. I hardly noticed the strain or the difficulty of the climb, thinking only of my family and my lost people. They depended on everything I did here in this twisted future. If I gave up, then they would be lost forever, and I could not allow that. 

This quest was no longer about me and returning home, nor had it ever been about that. It had always been about restoring my people's history and culture to the way it was so many centuries ago. I realized that I had never been doing this for myself, but for my people and family. If I had been doing all this for myself, I doubted that I would have lasted as long as I had in this world. 

Finally, after a climb that did not seem to take all that long, I realized that I had made it to the top. I paused for only a moment to catch my breath before standing and looking around, wondering what could possibly be at the top of this mountain to bring about such impressive legends. The sight was absolutely breathtaking. 

Before me were a few peaks poking above the cloudy mists that seemed to stretch for miles. I had never imagined such beauty remained in this world known only as Aku Earth. Something that had been untouched, unspoiled, uncorrupted by the Shogun of Sorrows. I realized then, just how much I missed home and how much it meant to me to get back home to preserve such majestic beauty. 

"Akuuuuu! I will never give up! Never! Not until I see you banished back to Jigoku from whence you came!" I cried, even though I doubted he could hear me. 

I stood there in the winds after that, not really wanting to head back down just yet. I wanted to admire the beauty for awhile longer, make sure I really knew why I was going through what I was. Seeing such beauty made all the pain, the heartbreak, the frustration all worth it. 

Then the adrenaline began to wear off and reality began to set in. 

I had taken quite a beating from both the rock monster and the yeti and while I did not look too badly injured on the outside, my insides were another story. The aches that I had forgotten moments before when I began the last stretch of the climb returned with a vengeance and I realized just how badly I had been hurt. I wondered how I would ever get back down the mountain alive if I was hurt as bad as I was beginning to feel. 

I began to lose feeling in my hands and feet once more and every breath I took made my chest feel as if it would explode. As my battered kimono fluttered in the breeze, I realized that I could only barely feel it pulling at my back where the blood from the gashes dealt by the yeti had frozen to it. My head began to spin and my vision blurred as I struggled to stay on my feet. 

Had I come all this way only to die from my wounds? 

I tried to focus on staying on my feet, tried to force the pain back into the depths of my mind long enough so I could climb back down. Yet my efforts were in vain and my legs gave out beneath me, sending me spiralling down into the snow of the peak. My mind faded into darkness seconds before my body collided with the snowy peak, sending me into a world without pain, without sorrow, and definitely without Aku...at least for a little while. 


	9. Go: Koori - The Star of the Elements

My eyes snapped open and I quickly sat up, only to lay back down as quickly as I had sat, feeling waves of burning pain course through my chest. I coughed painfully, momentarily curling into a ball before it finally began to subside and I was able to stretch out again. Rolling onto my back, I stared up at an ice-blue ceiling, trying to remember why I had bolted awake so suddenly. 

I felt as if I had awakened from a nightmare, yet I could not manage to recall what the nightmare was. My body ached all over and while I was significantly warmer than I had last remembered myself to be, I still felt quite cold. That was when I realized that I was no longer on top of Fatoum and as slowly as I could, I sat back up to have a look around, wondering how I could have climbed all the way down the mountain when I had been unable to stay on my own two feet. 

I was in a room that seemed to be made completely of ice, from the ceiling to walls to even the floor, giving the room a frosty look. Through the window, I could see nothing but clouds and snow and other icy fixtures outside. I was not on Fatoum, but I was still on a very high mountaintop somewhere else in a castle that appeared to be made out of ice. Appeared to be. A closer look at the walls near me told me that it was a very pale blue stone, not ice, even though I was still quite cold. 

As I lay back down, I realized that I had to be on top of the other mountain that I had seen from Fatoum's peak. It was impossible for me to have survived climbing down Fatoum and making it all the way up this peak. Someone had to have found me and brought me here from where I had collapsed on Fatoum. I knew from experience that I had been too badly injured to make such a treacherous journey on my own. 

Oddly enough, I felt a strange sense of deja vu. This was all too much like the time I had met Chimitsu and began my journey to collect all five Elemental Keys all those months ago. Only now, I woke up alone, without Chimitsu at my side, and the castle was covered in snow and ice instead of looking like springtime. 

I had not sensed anyone else's presence in the room all this time, wondering if I was truly alone this time. Once more, I pushed myself into a sitting position, ignoring the pain in my chest as I looked around. The decor was quite icy in its apppearance, from crystal chandeliers to silver candelabras and paintings depicting wintry mountain scenes. 

_Could it be that I am in the home of the Ice Elemental?_

The heavy door to my room swung open and in stepped a pale woman with piercing ice-blue eyes and long hair that was completely white, even though she appeared to be as young as I was. She was carrying a tray with some sort of steaming soup and drink in a bowl and cup as she entered, setting it down only long enough to close the door. Once she had done that, she picked up the tray again and smiled to me as she walked over. 

"Ahh, Jack. So good to see you awake and trying to move around." she said softly. 

"Uhh...thank you, I think. Tell me, where am I?" 

"You're in Himuro Castle on Hyousetsu Mountain. My home." 

"Where?" 

"The mountain you saw from the top of Fatoum. Nobody knows this castle exists here except for the daring few who made it to the top. Perhaps one person every 250 years." 

"I see." 

She chuckled softly and sat down next to me on the bed, setting the tray in my lap. Unlike the walls, it was made of another kind of stone and silver, polished to give it an icy look. The bowl and cup, however, was made of a polished black stone, contrasting the rest of the decor, oddly enough. The food and drink steamed, still hot in this cold climate. 

"Go ahead. I assure you it's not poisoned." she said. 

I looked to her and then cautiously took a spoonful of the soup, knowing it would be rude to refuse. It tasted somewhat salty, yet spicy sweet at the same time. Its warmth traveled through my body, warming me from the inside out, from the tips of my fingers to the tips of my toes. 

I set the spoon down and picked up the handleless cup, looking at the steaming liquid inside. I had never seen a drink this color before or anything like it in my life. Yet it had a sweet scent and I cautiously took a sip, finding it to taste as sweet as it smelled. Chocolate. Liquid chocolate. 

"Hot chocolate." she said with a grin. 

"Hot...chocolate?" 

"Hot chocolate. Mixed with milk. Warms the body and soul, or so I like to think. Hot and sour soup to go with it." 

"They are very good, thank you." 

She beamed and I got the impression that she had made both herself. 

"I thought you'd like to have something new and something familiar to eat when you awoke." 

"I see. How long have I been here? Actually, how did I even get here when the last thing I remember was Fatoum's peak?" 

"So many questions, young samurai. Eat. I will explain everything." 

I nodded and began to eat the soup, watching her from the corner of my eye as I ate. 

"Before you can ask, I know what you're thinking. To answer the question that's burning in your mind, yes, I am the last Elemental whom you seek. The Elemental of Ice and Water, Asagi." she said. 

I sucked in a breath with surprise, also taking in the soup I had been in the process of swallowing. I coughed painfully, setting down the spoon before I dropped it, reaching for the napkin she had provided, coughing into it. She paused, her pale eyes wide with concern until I had caught my breath long enough to take a sip of the hot chocolate. 

"Forgive me." I said. 

"It's all right. I should have waited until you were done eating to tell you that." 

"It is all right. I already had my suspicions that you were the last Elemental when I first saw you. Were you the woman I saw down at the foothills after the battle with those destroyers?" 

"Yes. I'm sure you suspected who I was even then." 

"I did, yes, but not completely." 

"Of course. I wouldn't have shown myself except that I feared that without my guidance, you would never have made your way to Fatoum, nor dared to climb until you reached its summit." 

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I was, however, wondering which way to go after that portal had been ruined." 

She nodded and I returned to my meal, watching her as she smoothed out her robes. 

"At any rate, I am the last Elemental which you seek and it was I who brought you here from Fatoum's peak. You would never have made it back down safely, much less climb Hyousetsu. I'm surprised that you had managed to make it to the top of Fatoum and stay on your feet as long as you did before you collapsed." 

"Let me guess. If I had made it back down safely and gone to a doctor, he would not have been able to help me, even if he had wanted to?" 

"I see Chimtsu's joking personality has rubbed off on you." 

"Perhaps. I do remember her saying something to that effect to me when this journey began." 

"Well, yes, in that respect, there is a parallel between the beginning of your journey in seeking the five of us out and the end. I'm very relieved to see you awake and feeling better, but you are not completely well and need to rest or your wounds will end your journey for you." 

I finished my soup and chocolate drink, furrowing my brow as I looked over to her. 

"How bad?" I asked. 

"Bad enough. I watch over these mountains from this very castle and I have seen many, many men attempt to climb Fatoum's peak. Until you, nobody had ever made it to the top and those three monks that began the journey with you turned back shortly before you encountered the yeti. Few people ever had the strength or skill to pass beyond that point and those who did, either fell to their deaths or simply froze to death." 

"Then how is it that I made it when they did not?" 

"Because you were climbing Fatoum for something other than yourself and personal glory, Jack." 

I paused, slowly setting down the stone cup, realizing that she had been the one to fill my mind with those visions of home and my lost family. I had been so ready to give up and forget all about my journey, ready to give up all hope and succumb to death if I could not find a way to defeat Aku. She had been watching and knew what would have pushed me on and succeeded in doing just that. 

"You..." 

"Yes. The visions were from me. All this time, you pushed yourself to your limits and beyond for the sake of your family and your people. That, Jack, is why you made it to the summit when others could not. You pushed yourself beyond your limits, not for yourself, but for them." 

I sighed softly and laid back on the soft pillows under the thick, fluffy blankets. Asagi quickly removed the tray and set it on a table nearby, pulling the blankets up around my shoulders, tucking me in not unlike how a mother would tuck in a child at night. My chest tightened up as I began to think of my own mother and how she used to do the same to me when I was a little boy. 

"Please rest now, Jack. You have a long time to recover before I can give you the Neptune Jewel and you can complete your quest." she said. 

"I am sorry, but I cannot." 

"You must! Your resting time has given your body some time to recover from the massive internal injuries you suffered as a result of your battle with the yeti, but you are still not out of danger. Your ribs are still broken on top of that and I'm surprised that you can sit up and breathe comfortably." 

"A samurai will do what he must to complete his mission." 

"But at the cost of his life? That is foolish, young one, and I won't allow it. Rest. Let your ribs and body heal from the frostbite and broken bones and you may see the end of your journey soon. If you don't, then I fear that your recovery will be beyond even my sister's abilities." 

"Sister?" 

"Yes. Chimitsu has been summoned to come and finish the healing process faster than you would heal naturally. I've done what I could to keep you alive and well, but healing is not my strength. I must leave the rest to her." 

"Very well. I shall rest, but first, I wish to know what the final test will be." 

"Jack, you've already passed the final test." 

"I have?" 

"Yes. By making it to the summit of Fatoum, you proved yourself to be the only person worthy of receiving the Neptune Jewel from me." 

"But, was the Neptune Jewel not kept in another mountain?" 

She chuckled softly and ruffled my hair, which I realized only now to be loose from its usual topknot, the ribbon lying atop my folded kimono with my katana and obi. 

"It was, to be guarded by lesser elementals who failed when you defeated them nine months ago. Fear not, they have not been harmed or punished. Guarding such a jewel there was to see how well they had learned their lessons and you didn't know what those gangsters were planning. It didn't take much for me to get it back and the waters restored to normal. This time, however, it will not be controlling the waters. It doesn't do that when it's joined with its four sisters." 

"I see." 

"Rest now. I will give it to you when you've recovered enough to summon the Great Spirit Elemental." 

She stood and picked up the tray, disappearing back through the door which she came, leaving me alone to think. I sighed softly, wanting to rest, but also wanting to finish my quest before Aku could reach us. Then again, if three lesser Elementals could defeat Aku and keep him away from the Neptune Jewel, then there was not much of a chance that he would come all this way and risk facing a true Elemental just to stop me. I would be safe for the moment. 

I shifted my weight a bit, wanting to roll onto my side, but with my healing ribs, that was not an option. Peeking under the blankets, I noticed for the first time that I had been wrapped in bandages from my armpits down to my bare hips, most likely to keep me from bending too much. I tugged the blankets back around my shoulders and curled up, laying on the fluffy pillow. 

Despite the iciness of my surroundings, I found the bed and thick blankets to be quite warm and soon found my eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Even though I wanted to stay awake and think awhile longer, my body refused to obey me and I was asleep within a few seconds, dreaming of home and my family. 

* * *

Sometime later, my eyes opened and I was greeted with a familiar face leaning over me. I almost did not notice her white wings extending from her back and would have missed them had she not moved them to drop a few feathers in my face. I sat up, seeing stars outside now, the icy room illuminated with candlelight. 

"Chimitsu!" I cried. 

"Hello, Jack. Still getting into trouble, I see." 

She laughed and drew me in for a hug, her wings wrapping around my back, sending a familiar sensation through my body. Even the wings could heal with a mere touch and I realized then that the bandages that had been wrapped around my torso were gone. I could even breathe without any pain that accompanied the broken ribs I had been dealt some odd days ago. 

"And I see that you are just as playful as ever." 

"You know me, Jack. It's good to see you alive and well. Or relatively well." 

"It is good to see you too, Chimitsu. Thank you for the healing. I really do appreciate it." 

"I know you do, and I don't mind doing it, either. I haven't seen someone with your strength of will and purity of heart in centuries. I don't think I have seen anyone like you since before Aku came and took over this tiny planet." 

"I am honored to have met you all and earned your favor. I am only doing what is right and what needs to be done." 

"Perhaps, but nonetheless, you are a rare and special man and it is us who are honored to have known you." 

She slowly released me, her wings drawing back and folding against her back. 

"I had better let you get dressed. Asagi'll be back soon with the Neptune Jewel and she'll want you to be ready to go when she arrives." she said. 

I nodded and watched her go before pushing the blankets aside. I stood and stretched, feeling pleasantly warm and relieved to feel well once more. My kimono and the rest of my clothing had been repaired once more and I dressed quickly. I reached down and picked up my katana, slipping it into my obi before pulling my hair back into its usual topknot. 

No sooner had I stepped into my sandals than there was a knocking at the door. 

"Yes?" I called out. 

"Are you ready? It's time." 

I walked over and stepped out to face Asagi and Chimitsu. 

"As ready as I will ever be for this." 

They both nodded and turned to head down the corridor, Chimitsu lagging back behind her sister a bit, walking at my side. There was an air of wistfulness about her, yet I could not place it. Asagi walked ahead, all of us in silence as we neared a set of heavy, crystalline doors. With a light touch from Asagi, they swung open, revealing a room lit with silver candelabras. 

At the other end of the room stood a crystalline table engraved with a figure eight, which I had been told was the symbol for infinity. Laying on the table was the Neptune Jewel, in a diamond form instead of the teardrop shape it had been in when I had first seen it. It was also a great deal smaller now. 

Asagi stood in front of it, joined by myself and Chimitsu a few seconds later. 

"May I have the other jewels please?" she asked. 

I untied the black bag from my obi and handed it to her, watching as she poured the other Keys into her hand and set them in a formation on the table around the infinity symbol. A closer look told me that she had placed them in the points of a star that had been engraved around it. How odd. 

The five began to glow brightly and I had to look away. Chimitsu and Asagi did not seem to be bothered by this, even as it burned at my eyes from through my eyelids. Finally, it died away and I was able to look again. What I saw lying on the table in place of the five jewels was not what I had expected to see. 

On the table in the middle of the carving atop the infinity symbol was a diamond star, glittering with all the colors of the rainbow as the firelight danced over it. A silver chain lay near its top, attached to the topmost point. I picked it up and held it in front of me, admiring it for a moment before slipping it on. 

"That is the Star of the Elements and now, all that is left is to call forth the Spirit Elemental and your quest will be over." Asagi said. 

"How do I call forth the Great Elemental?" 

"You already know how. All you need to do is look in your heart and you will find the way." 

I looked at the jewel hanging around my neck and sighed, taking in a breath as I closed my eyes. Words began to form in my mind, words that I did not know I even understood. I opened my mouth to speak, finally ready to return home. But before I could speak a single word, Chimitsu stopped me. 

"Jack, wait!" she cried. 

I opened my eyes to find her standing in front of me, her eyes shimmering with tears. She did not want me to go, even though we both knew that I had to or Aku would forever rule this world. She reached out and took my hands in hers, her wings unfolding slightly from her back. 

"What is it, Chimitsu?" I asked softly. 

"I...I don't want you to go. I know you have to, but a part of me doesn't want you to go. You bring so much hope to this world." 

"I know. I do not want to leave those friends I made here behind, but I have no choice. Aku must be defeated for the sake of my people and for future generations that should have been." 

She nodded and sighed, wings drooping just a bit. It was hard for me to see her not be her playful self. She did not appear to be herself when she was sad instead of cheerful. 

"Chimitsu-san, if it will make you feel even a little bit better, I..." 

She cut my words short by leaning forwards and firmly pressing her mouth to my own. I blinked in surprise before closing my eyes, realizing what she was trying to tell me, why she was so sad to see me leave. Yet we both knew that nothing could ever come of her feelings. She was an immortal Elemental and I was only a mortal samurai, destined for another place and time. 

Her hands held mine tightly for a few seconds before she finally drew away, the tears shimmering in her eyes. She reached up and plucked a feather from her wings, slipping it into my closed fist. 

"Don't forget me..." she said. 

"I will always remember you and your sisters. Thank you...for everything." 

She nodded and backed away as I closed my eyes once more, reaching inside my heart to find the words. I began to speak the foreign incantation, feeling energies well up inside me, causing the Star of the Elements to glow brightly from where it hung against my chest. I opened my eyes at the end of the incantation, the Star itself leading me now, and watched as Asagi and the tearful Chimitsu finally vanished from sight as the Star pulled me away from the mountain and to the place where the Spirit Elemental awaited me. 

* * *

FYI: A little translation. "himuro" means "ice house" and "hyousetsu" means "ice and snow" 


	10. Roku: Shinrei - The Great Spirit Element...

Upon opening my eyes, I found myself in a room that appeared to be made entirely of stars. Was I out in space? As far as I could see, it appeared as if I had rematerialized in space somewhere. But that was impossible. The scientists that I helped in space before this adventure all began told me that I would not be able to survive in the vaccum of space without a suit and oxygen tank. 

How was it, then, that I seemed to be standing in the middle of the starry heavens, without any such equipment, and still be alive? 

I looked around, trying to figure out where the Spirit Elemental was. While Asagi and Chimitsu had not said where she would be when I arrived, but I had assumed that she would be in the immediate area. Yet there was nobody here. It was empty, hollow, and I felt very alone in this vast infinity. 

Infinity. No wonder the star carving on the table in Asagi's castle had an infinity symbol in its center. The Star of the Elements would take me into a castle in space. That could be the only explanation as to why I could be standing in the middle of a plain in the vastness of space and still be alive and well. 

The only thing was, how could I tell what was part of the castle and part of space? 

By chance, I happened to look down at my feet and saw that the starlight around my feet appeared to be distorted. It was as if I had been looking at the stars through a prism or stained glass. Wanting to test my theory, I took a cautious step forward and the moment I stepped down, the stars beneath my foot shimmered in and out, becoming solid where I had been standing. 

I reached out to my side, trying to feel a wall, only to have my hand touch something that was cold and yet warm at the same time. The stars shimmered as if I had been touching a membrane wall, rippling each time I gently poked the spot. It was odd to say the least, if not a little disturbing. What if I managed to poke my way through and into space? 

Somehow, I did not wish to find out the answer. 

Suddenly, I began to get the feeling that somebody was watching me, even though I could not see anyone there when I looked around. Instinctively, I reached for my katana, tensing as I readied myself for an attack. But what I was met with was anything but an attack. 

A strong wind blew over my body, nearly knocking me off my feet, ruffling my kimono and topknot. I instinctively blocked and closed my eyes as it passed, finding that I could now smell something in the air. It did not smell like the foul smells that permeated Aku Earth, but something more from the past. 

When I finally managed to open my eyes again, I found that I could now see the castle that I had appeared in. Only it was not like anything I had imagined it would be, nor was it anything like the vastness of space or the rippling membrane I had noticed before. Ever so faintly, I could see what appeared to be the ghostly image of the inside of my father's palace as it was before Aku had arrived. 

Everything, from the candelabras to the tatami mats to the tapestries and sliding doors lay before me. I could not have forgotten any of this if I had lived to be over a hundred years old. I stood in a hallway that led out onto the balcony where my father and I had stood not long before Aku had appeared and attacked. 

I looked around, wondering how this could possibly. I had been to the ruins of Edo months before and the castle had only one small alcove left. I instinctively reached up and sure enough, I could feel the worn ball that had once been my favorite toy tucked into the folds of my kimono with the feather that Chimitsu had given me moments before I had been whisked away by the Star of the Elements. 

Yet, even though I could see the ghostly image of my former home laid out before me, I could see the vastness of space and the sparkling stars through every inch of it. They were harder to see beyond certain parts of the castle, but I could still see right through it. It was as if I was living in a memory of some kind. 

Had I somehow managed to travel through time? 

Sensing another strange presense, I turned around again, only this time it was in time to see a ghostly image of myself as a young child pass through my legs. I turned back to face the other way, sucking in a quiet breath as I watched my younger self play with the wooden sword my father had made for me after I had first seen the samurai on the bridge. I had asked for a sword just like that man's, but my father had refused to allow me a live katana until I was old enough to understand that it was not a toy. 

My chest tightened up and I swallowed hard as tears burned under my eyelids, trying not to cry. Samurai warriors did not cry, only women and children did, yet I could not help myself. The memory was more than even I could bear, knowing how that innocence had been shattered only a few mere moments later by Aku. 

Upon opening my eyes once more, I could see that my younger self had vanished as if he had never been there at all, yet the ghostly image of the castle remained. I quickly wiped away the few tears that had managed to fall from under my eyelids and looked around, sensing the first presence once more. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was completely, utterly alone. 

"Welcome, Jack." 

I swung back around and this time, in the place of where my younger self had been standing moments before, stood a woman. Her hair was completely silver, standing in contrast to her dark skin. She wore white robes, yet they- and she- were as transparent as the castle itself. Yet, perhaps most strikingly of all, was her eyes, which were an opaque white. The Spirit Elemental, it appeared, was completely blind. 

"Are you...?" I began. 

"Yes. I am the Great Spirit Elemental which you seek. Congratulations on gathering the keys to form the Star of the Elements to summon me. Very few have ever been privileged to hold such an amulet long enough to see me." 

"I see. Then you can help me finally complete my quest?" 

"Indeed I can, dear samurai. However, I unfortunately must warn you of a few things that must be done before you can be sent back into the past." 

"A few things? What sort of things?" 

She sighed a bit and appeared to be deep in thought. Oddly enough, she reminded me of my mother when I had asked her a question that I had been too young to receive an answer for just yet. Of course, that could not possibly be the reason since I had been a grown man for some time now. 

"Forgive me for my silence, Jack, I'm merely trying to figure out how to explain all this to you seeing as how a mortal can't possibly understand the physics of time." she said. 

"Try me. I _was_ sent through it, after all." 

"That you were, but that doesn't mean you understand the physics and magic that brought you here." 

She smoothed out her robes and relaxed her arms at her side. 

"Try to think of time as a line. That line is what would have happened had Aku never awakened and sent you here to his future. Then take a point, any point seeing as how time is infinite, and make another line split off from it. That, my dear Jack, is the future you are currently in. Aku Earth. It was never meant to exist, but now, because of Aku's treachery, it will exist forever more." 

I furrowed my brow, trying to comprehend all this, even though I had only a vague idea with the line analogy. 

"All right." I said. 

"If you go back in time and destroy Aku, you will forever have your time, yes, but this timeline that has been created will still be in his clutches." 

"I see." 

"We need you to free this world from Aku so that he can never come back to your time." 

"Very well. Send me to his castle and I will make sure that he never comes back." 

She nodded and held out her hands, which appeared to become solid and began to glow. 

"Once you have defeated the demon, you will reappear here and I will be able to return you home. Good luck, Jack, and be careful." she said. 

"I will. Thank you." 

I gave her a quick bow before the warm glow emanating from her hands enveloped me and the ghostly castle disappeared. In its place appeared a forboding structure filled with glowing orange rock structures, giving the appearance of it being on fire. Of course, it was warmer than the outside was, seeing as how Aku preferred warm places over cold ones. Slowly, I approached the inner area of his sanctuary, waiting for him to appear. 

He did, once I had finally reached the edge of the ledge that overlooked a tunnel that appeared to drop down into infinite darkness. At first, he seemed somewhat sleepy, at least until he saw me standing there waiting for him. His eyes widened in shock and hints of fear, knowing that his castle was a well-guarded secret and something that nobody could find if he did not want them to find it. 

"You!" he cried. 

"Yes, me." 

"How did you find this place?" 

"That does not matter. What matters is that this world will finally be free of you!" 

"So you think, eh, little samurai?" 

He gave an evil chuckle and began to shrink down, melting into another one of his forms. I was ready for anything, watching as his new form began to take the shape of a large spider, crawling along the wall high above me. I sprang from the ledge I was on to another, trying to get within striking distance, knowing as much as he did that he could not touch my katana without being seriously harmed. 

I crouched down, ready to spring when he fired a thin black strand of spider's threads at me, trying to ensnare me in a sticky net of webbing. I swung around and quickly sliced it to bits, noting the hints of pain in the demon's eyes. I hurt him each time I sliced the sticky threads, which were apparently made from his own personal energies. I did not hurt him seriously and could not waste the time trying to wear him down this way. 

He skittered out of the way as I leapt to another ledge closer to him, firing another ball of thread at me. Another slice disabled it before I hopped to another ledge, playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with him. He was in his home domain and thus stronger here than anywhere else I could have faced him and it was unknown how long he could regenerate the energies destroyed by my blade when I sliced apart the webbing he sent at me. 

If that was his game, then he was trying to wear me down or get me to falter long enough for him to destroy me. I had to be extremely careful. This was his lair, his turf, and he knew it better than I did. He knew all the nooks and crannies and traps and which ledges were weaker than others. I could only make a move and hope I made the right one. 

I leapt away as he lunged again, firing energy-webbing at me once more. He only narrowly missed me, the stringy blackness sticking to the wall before melting back into him again. I crouched on a small ledge high above the entrance ledge, wondering just how I was going to get down to safety again. I could not afford to fall down into the depths below or I feared that would end the battle before I could land a single blow. 

He turned and fired another batch of energy strings and I readied my katana, realizing almost too late that he had not been aiming at me. Instead, he had fired at the ledge I was on, intending on pulling it down. If I wanted to live, I would have to leap down to another ledge. I sprang out of the way as the ledge began to give, leaping down toward the entrance ledge, hoping that I would land safely. 

Before I had fallen very far, a bundle of black string wrapped around me, snatching me out of the air. I dangled above the entrance ledge, entangled in the strands, which never dared to touch my katana. They began to tighten around me, obviously in an attempt to strangle me. I lashed out with my katana, cutting myself free and drawing a loud roar of pain from Aku as I fell. 

I landed on the ledge as he began to melt away into another form that oozed down the wall like black blood. I crouched there, waiting, panting, katana at ready as he began to take on his new shape. This time, he melted into the form of a lion, leaping at me with his claws extended. 

I leapt out of the way as quickly as I could, but not quick enough, feeling hot pain tear down my back. He sprang again, claws raking down my chest and shoulder as I stumbled back towards the entrance to his lair. I blocked the next strike with my blade, taking the claws of one paw off with a loud cry, watching him step back and begin to circle me. 

I moved away from the exit, not wanting to be forced outside and watch his castle disappear again. His tail twitched from side to side, every muscle in his body as tense as mine was. It was only a matter of time before one of us struck first, but I could not tell which it would be. Sweat beaded down the back of my neck and past my shoulderblades from the tense anticipation. 

Then, without warning, he struck. 

He sprang at me with a roar, leaping like a wound coil with the intention of knocking me down and tearing me in half. I sidestepped and brought my blade down across his back, trying to return the favor. He gave a snarl and rose up on his hind legs, swinging around with a large paw blindly in pain. 

The large paw met my shoulder and upper arm, the force of the blow powerful enough to send me flying across the ledge and sliding over edge. I grabbed blindly for anything to grab onto, managing to catch a rock that peeked out like a fang from the underside of the ledge. I could see small pebbles falling into the depths below me, quietly realizing just how close I had come to certain death. 

Aku's snarls of pain faded and I began to try and pull myself up before he struck again, knowing that he would not hesitate to strike me down when I could not strike back. It was not long before I heard laughter and looked up to see his wounded lion form looming over me. He had been weakened, but he was still quite strong, gaining power from his lair. 

"Well well well. One lone samurai, hanging by a thread to his life, a thread that all I have to do is snap and I will finally be rid of your interference!" he snarled softly. 

He leaned in closer, watching my arm that clung tightly to the rock formation, licking his lips as he raised his uninjured paw to strike. I shifted my katana in my hand and tightened my grip around the handle, keeping one eye on the paw nearest to me, the other on the rest of him. He was completely distracted, focused on all that lay between him and my death, leaving himself wide open to attack. 

I struck, swinging up with my katana at his uninjured paw, taking it off at the shoulder as he raised the other to strike me down. He roared loudly in pain before falling over the ledge and into the darkness below. I wasted no time in pulling myself back up to safety, knowing full well that he was far from destroyed. He would not retreat this time, either, being as tired of this game as I was. He would make certain that I was destroyed or he would be destroyed in trying. 

I lay there for a few moments, trying to catch my breath, feeling the hot blood soak my kimono in the back and across my chest. After a few moments of laying there, I pulled myself to my feet and dared to peek over the edge of the ledge, wondering why Aku had not reappeared, knowing that he would not retreat this time. Nothing. No tentacle creature, no hawk, no scorpion, nothing. 

"Jack..." 

I quickly turned around, eyes widening upon seeing my father standing there before me. There was just no possible way that he could be there, looking as he did when I was a boy, right before Aku had taken him. The last time I had seen him before I had been sent through time, he had aged greatly, wearing nothing but rags in the slave pits. He still had his pride about him, but twenty-odd years in Aku's control had aged him. 

"O...otousan?" I asked, my voice barely even a whisper. 

He smiled and I lowered my katana, wondering how he could be there when he had to be long dead. According to the race of sentient dogs that I had met when I arrived, it had been many centuries since I had been banished from my home time. There was no possible way that he could have survived. Not at all. 

"No...this is not possible. You cannot possibly be standing there, not after all these centuries. And if you have survived somehow, then why did you not show yourself to me before? Why now?" I asked, unable to bring myself to believe it was really him. 

"You are a hard one to find, my son. I, too, had been flung into the future, and it took this long for me to find you." 

"But why Aku's lair?" 

"Why not? He banished us both, did he not? It would only be a matter of time before you found your way here to destroy him." 

"Why did he send you here? You are without the sword that I now hold, you could do him no harm." 

"Perhaps he merely sent me here...to take care of you." 

"Take care of me? How?" 

In a flash, he lunged at me, driving the heel of his hand into the wounds of my chest before I could react to block. The pain raced along my chest and back as I was thrown into a wall, my katana clattering to the ground next to me. I coughed, feeling a dull ache in my chest as he struck again, the punch landing on my shoulder. 

This could not possibly be right! Why would my father say that he had been brought here to take care of me and then attack me? Another hard blow caught me across the jaw, sending me to the ground, my head spinning dizzily. I pushed myself up onto my elbows, raising my head to look at him. He looked like my father, but his expression was not one of kindness, but pure loathing and disgust. 

My head snapped to the side as his foot connected with my jaw, tearing open my chin. This just could not be! I could not fight my father, no matter what sort of twisted expression he wore or what he did. Another blow caught me in the side, sending me across the ledge, but not over its side. 

With a soft whimper of pain, I laid there, unable to find the strength to pull myself onto my feet or the will to fight back. I could hear his footsteps as he drew close, picking me up and throwing me across the ledge to the other side near the thin wire cord that was attached to the handle of my katana. My shoulder ached as I lay there, my heart broken as he approached once more. 

Had I fought this hard and overcome all those hardships all to face an unforgiving, hateful father? Is this what had become of him all those years while under Aku's rule? 

He reached down and picked me up by the back of my kimono's collar, leaning me over the edge of the ledge we were on. 

"All those years, I slaved away in those pits beneath Aku's castle, waiting for you, and then you came, full of ambition and foolishness. You couldn't even defeat a mere demon. No, you had to be thrown through time and disgrace me! What have you to say now....son?" he whispered nastily in my ear. 

Somewhere deep inside of me, I snapped. My father, no matter how long it would have taken me to train, to return to my homeland, would never have lost his faith in me. He would never have lost faith in me, even if he had heard that I had been sent through time. He would wait for me to return, even if it took longer than his lifetime, he would die believing in me. 

I also remembered him to be kind, and gentle, even when he scolded me. He would never have told me that I had disgraced him. He had always been proud of me, I had known that from when I was a boy and how happy he had been to see me return after I had come back from my training. This could not have been my father. Never in a million years could this man be my father. That left only one being that he could be. Clever, but not clever enough. 

I gave a sharp tug on the cord that was connected to my katana, quickly yanking it out of its scabbard and into my hand before the man holding onto me could react. 

_"SHI-NE!"_

In a flash, I gave a push back and swung around, striking swiftly three times with the enchanted blade. The illusion shifted back into Aku's form as the bloodless pieces fell to the ground, an expression of disbelief on the demon's face as I struck again one final time. I swung the blade around in my hand and drove it home into the creature's chest with a cry, tears streaming down my face for all that he had hurt, including myself. 

With an agonized cry and a magical explosion stemming from the meeting of two opposite forces, the former future known as Aku Earth...was free. 

* * *

Note: "shi-ne" means "die!" and "otousan" is the formal term for "father" 


	11. Nana: Epilogue - Going Home

Hihi! Well, here we go, the end of Star of the Elements. Had a blast writing it and I hope you all enjoyed it! I have another Elementally-related fic running loose in my head, buuuut...I shall take a short break while I take care of some RL necessities. Take care, thanks for the reviews and keep writing! - TN 

* * *

Only a few moments after I had destroyed Aku, his castle began to dematerialize around me and I found myself back in the ghostly castle mirroring my father's. Instantly, my wounds vanished as if I had never fought Aku at all. I sheathed my katana and looked around, searching for where the Spirit Elemental had gone. 

"Hello?" I called out. 

A light breeze fluttered my kimono at my back and I turned around to see her standing there on the balcony. I immediately bowed, keeping my eyes lowered to the existant-but-nonexistant floor, watching the stars as she approached. When she stopped, I could see the hem of her gown just in front of me. The silence was agonizing as I waited for her to speak. 

"You have done well, samurai. The citizens of the former Aku Earth and myself and my daughters all thank you." she said. 

"I am only doing what is right. There is no need to thank me." 

"Oh, but there is and now you shall be rightfully rewarded." 

"Home..." 

"Yes. Home to the past where you belong. I can send you back mere seconds after Aku sent you here. He'll be weak from your attack soon and you won't have as hard a time defeating him as you did here." 

"And if he tries to send me through time again?" 

"He won't be able to. The Star of the Elements will see to it that any attempts to send you back through time will be made ineffective." 

"Very well. I would like to go home now, please." 

"Of course. We wish you luck, Jack, and a prosperous life in your home time." 

I gave her another bow and stood, watching as she raised her hands, holding them out in front of her, glowing and becoming solid again. The castle faded out and disappeared and I found myself in Aku's lair once again, yet I knew that this time, it was for good. I would not be seeing the Elementals again as far as I knew. 

I heard muttering behind myself and turned to see the figure of Aku standing there at the edge of the entrance ledge. I quietly drew my katana and moved closer, wondering how large of a gap had been left between my leaving and arriving back home. One strike would do it, just one quick strike and his treachery would end in a heartbeat. 

As I drew nearer, he turned around, eyes showing his shock when he saw me. 

"You! It can't be! I sent you into the future!" he cried. 

"Indeed you did, but I have returned. Prepare yourself." 

"You can bet I will!" 

I tensed, waiting for him to strike, knowing that he was too weak to sustain another form other than his usual one. He would have to draw a great deal of power from his lair and I knew that he did not have the resources he was said to have in the future. He struck quickly, catching the side of my leg with a sharp talon. 

I gave a hiss of pain through my teeth, readying myself for another strike. I could see genuine fear in his eyes, a desperation to destroy me or drive me off until he could recover. The same desperation that I saw in his eyes moments before he threw me through time into his twisted future. 

His hand came up and a hot wind washed over me as he attempted to open another portal to send me back into the future. My breath caught in my throat as I waited for the same sickening, twisting feeling that had accompanied my first journey through time. Only this time, the dark magic was stopped in its tracks, the hot wind being cut short as a pale blue glow filled the cavern. 

"What?!" 

I opened my eyes to see the Star of the Elements peeking from my kimono, shimmering brightly. Of course. It had blocked the attempt, rendering his magic useless. He would be unable to send me into any other sort of timeline as long as I wore it. I would have to be careful to keep it around my neck. 

"NO! It can't be!" 

I lunged forward and struck, slicing down his arm, but not cutting deeply enough to do much more than burn him. He snarled and struck again in return, claws raking down my back for the second time today. I swung around and sliced deeply across his chest and stomach, nearly cleaving him in half. 

He melted down into a puddle of shadow for a moment before reforming, looking weaker, but not defeated. 

"Damn you and that sword!" he gasped out. 

"No. Damn _you_, demon, for all the pain and suffering you have cause my people and that you will cause others in the future." 

Somehow, I began to feel a burning anger rise in my chest, verging on the edge of hatred. Yes, I hated the demon for all that he had done, shattering the peace my people had enjoyed for decades, for tearing me from my family when I was just a boy and for enslaving my people. I could feel the energy burning in my veins, fueling the strength within me needed to fight. 

He slashed at me again, just barely missing my neck as I lunged forwards, driving the blade up to its hilt in his chest, taking advantage of his fatal overstrike. His eyes, burning with an equal hatred for me, widened at the realization of his mistake before the fire in them began to fade. I could feel my hands shaking around the handle of my blade as I held my ground, not wanting to give him a second chance to cause my people pain. 

Slowly, his shadowy form began to melt from around my blade and onto the floor before vaporizing into mist. Once he was gone, I fell to my knees, panting heavily. It was over. Finally, at long last, it was over. We were free once more. 

After a few moments, his castle began to fade away into nothingness, his magic no longer being supported by him. The mists and demons and heat of the cavern faded away, leaving me kneeling alone in the ruins of what had once been my father's castle. My entire body shook as I tried to choke down the raw emotion that rose in my chest to replace the anger and hatred. 

My quest had been completed...I was finally home. 

Home. That one word made me remember that my work was not yet done. I had destroyed Aku, but my people needed to be told that they were free once more and their captor had been banished. With that in mind, I rose and resheathed my katana, heading out of the ruins of my father's castle to seek out what had been left of my people. 

Upon stepping outside, however, I was greeted with a surprise. Every person who had been enslaved by Aku in this time stood out in the ruins of the courtyard, waiting to see who had destroyed Aku's palace. I had expected to have to find them all, yet they had made their way here before I could get out of the castle. 

A loud cheer went up, people hurrying over to hug me, to touch the one who had saved us all from Aku. Some of them were crying, others were simply glowing with gratitude. I could feel my chest burning with raw emotion as each of the people I had freed came near to show me their gratitude. 

"Masurao-san!" 

The crowd quieted and parted from around me. That voice. I could never have forgotten that voice as long as I had lived, even though it was older than when I had last heard it. I had not seen her before Aku had sent me through time, and I had prayed for a long time that she would have survived his enslavement. 

"Sa...Sakura-san?" I asked, barely able to keep my emotions in check. 

She nodded as she walked over to me, standing only a few inches shorter than myself. Her long, raven mane of hair still hung down to her waist, pinned back by a worn lacquered clip, her peach-colored kimono threadbare, but she had grown up to be very beautiful. The last time I had seen her had been when we were children, the morning before Aku had taken over my kingdom. 

We had first met in one of the farmer's fields nearby, chasing grasshoppers into the late afternoon. Neither of us had managed to catch one and I recalled the disappointed expression she had worn as the last one flew away. Not wanting her to go home disappointed, I had taken a piece of paper that I had tucked into my kimono and folded it into an origami grasshopper for her. 

We had been only children, but the memory of the light kiss of gratitude she had placed on my cheek that day had remained in my mind all these years. 

"Is it really you?" I asked. 

"Yes. Welcome home, Masurao-san." 

Unable to hold back any longer, I reached out and quickly drew her into my arms, holding her close as I pressed my face into her soft hair. Her slim arms wrapped around my midsection tightly, clearly having missed me as much as I had missed her, even though she had no clue what I had gone through in the future. It meant so very much to me to see that she had survived Aku's treachery. 

"It is good to see you alive and well, Sakura. All those years I had been training, I had never forgotten you." I said softly. 

"And I never forgot you. I thought of you day and night, waiting for the day you would return and free our people from Aku's clutches." 

"Yes...I, too, waited for the day when we would once more be free. Now that we are, I wish to hold you close to my heart and never let you go ever again." 

She looked up at me, her eyes wide. 

"Masurao-san..." she said softly. 

"Shh. Sakura, you have not left my mind since the day we had last seen each other. I have waited all these years, not just for the day in which I would see Aku destroyed, but for the day that I promised myself that I would ask you to be my wife." 

Her brown eyes widened even more as I gently trailed a fingertip along her cheek and down to her chin, tipping her head up so she would look me in the eyes. She was speechless, but I could see her answer in her eyes and knew that she had thought about me as often over these years as I had thought of her. The years that we had spent apart had only made us want to be near us more now that we had been reunited and our love had blossomed without either of us completely realizing it until now. 

Slowly, I leaned down until our lips lightly met, drawing her close as the rest of our people cheered us on. The two of us were oblivious as the crowd suddenly quieted again, at least until someone cleared their throat. I quickly pulled away, momentarily wondering if Sakura had another suitor and had been inadvertently intruding. 

Thankfully, that was not the case. Instead, the surprise this time was even sweeter than seeing my beloved Sakura alive and well. There, near the edge of the crowd awaiting us, stood my father and mother, aged, but very happy to see us. 

"Otousan! Okaasan!" 

I released Sakura, hurrying over to hug my mother, having missed her and my father more than anyone else while I had been trapped in time. This time, I allowed the tears to fall, the raw emotion and joy welling up in my chest. I could feel my mother's arms hold me tight, my father's joining hers a few moments later. 

Behind us, Sakura smiled, waiting politely until my father motioned for her to join us. Shyly, she walked over to join my family, even though she had known my parents for years before Aku had attacked. We had practically grown up together before that fateful day and now we were to be married. 

Perhaps Edo would once again rise and be prosperous after all... 

* * *

[A Few Years Later] 

Four years later, the city had indeed risen again, including my father's palace, with a few additions. Additions that had included Sakura, a son, a daughter and another on the way. Aku had not returned and it had almost been like he had never attacked at all. 

My father and mother still lived at the castle, although the power over the city and nation had been handed down to me. I wore ceremonial robes with the family crest on it proudly, my beloved katana hanging at my hip as always. One day, I would hand it down to my son and with it, the family legacy. 

As I walked out to the balcony overlooking the city, my mind drifted back to the journey I had traveled on in the future and those that had helped me on my way. Memories filled my mind as I closed my eyes and drifted back. I hoped that wherever they were, they were happy and free and at peace. 

Images of the Woolie coating my hand with drool as it took the apple I had offered it, of the three monks that had guided me to Fatoum, and of the rowdy Scotsman, who had also been on the run from Aku. I chuckled softly to myself as I recalled his large and equally rowdy wife. She had been a kind, polite, and gracious woman for the most part, but you did _not_ tell her she was "large" or "big" or "fat" or one would end up with a black eye for a week. 

My eyes clouded a bit at the memories as I hoped that they truly were at peace in the other timeline. 

The Elementals, I had never seen again. Chimitsu, Chame, Asagi, Himoto, and Hirame, I missed them all, especially the sweet Chimitsu, but I had not seen any of them since my return home. Now that things were safe and returned to normal, I guessed that they had no reason to show themselves or intervene in my new life. A part of me wished that I could have introduced them to my new family, but the other part of me knew that they were watching over us from afar and knew my family as well as they knew me. 

As for the Star of the Elements, that had been kept in a locked box with the feather that Chimitsu had given me before I had left for the Spirit Castle. I would one day pass that onto my children, but until that day, it would stay safely locked away in a small trapdoor hidden under the tatami panels in the bedroom I shared with Sakura. Whether or not its power would be needed in the future had yet to be seen and I hoped not, but if it ever came another time to call upon it, I knew that it would serve my family well. 

"Otousan!" 

I turned to see my young son hurrying up to me, his mother standing a few feet behind him, holding his baby sister. I smiled and leaned down, scooping him up into my arms. He wore a similar kimono to the one I had worn as a child and as I had once done, he carried a wooden sword that his grandfather had made for him. 

"Are you behaving for your mother and grandparents?" 

He nodded and I could see a mischevious glint in his eyes, which led me to think otherwise. He had been in some sort of mischief, but knowing his mother and my own, it could not have been anything too serious. I shared a quick look with Sakura for a moment before ruffling his hair. 

"Have I ever told you the story about your father and the great shadow demon?" I asked. 

"Lots of times, 'tousan." 

"Hai, that I have, but have I told you about the magical journey he sent me on into another world and another time?" 

"Uhuh." 

"Would you like to hear it then?" 

He nodded and I smiled, carrying him inside, setting him down when I got beside Sakura, taking his hand and leading him into the throne room. 

"In his desperation, the great Shadow Demon Aku cast a spell that opened a portal in time around me, opening up into another place and time in which chariots flew like birds...." 

_Owari_

* * *

Note: "okaasan" is the formal term for "mother" and "owari" simply means "end". And each name that I gave the Elementals and Jack and the little girl from the flashback episode each have meanings. The little girl, had I used her last name, would have been "Youei Sakura", meaning "lingering cherry blossom", seeing as how she lingered in his mind for 20-some years. ;P Jack's real name of "Masurao" means "hero." Each Elemental has a name tying into their element. Chimitsu means "delicate", Himoto means "origin of fire", Chame means "brown eyes", Hirame means "flash" and Asagi means "light blue". 


End file.
